Loudoun Now for Dec. 15, 2022

Ziegler, Byard Face Criminal Charges in Assault Scandal

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

Former Loudoun County Public Schools superintendent Scott Ziegler and long-time school division spokesman Wayde Byard appeared in Circuit Court on Tuesday afternoon, one day after the unsealing of criminal indictments against them.

The special grand jury empaneled to investigate how the school division handled two on-campus sexual assaults committed by the same student in 2021 issued the indictments during its eight-month investigation. Ziegler faces three misdemeanor charges for “prohibited conduct,” penalizing an employee for a court appearance or service on jury panel, and providing false information to a publication.

Byard is charged with felony perjury.

Byard spoke briefly after a hearing Tuesday, saying he had been placed on

leave without pay.

“At this point I can’t discuss any specific charges because neither my attorney nor myself have been given any indication of what I’ve been alleged to do. I plan on pleading not guilty is all I can say,”

he said.

Byard, who has been the school division’s public information officer since 2000, is also implicated in the special grand jury’s report last week that led to Ziegler’s firing. The grand jury found he

wrote the email to parents from Stone Bridge High School principal Tim Flynn the day of the first assault, which addressed the father of the victim being escorted out of the building. It made no mention of the assault on his daughter the same day, or that the assailant had gone missing inside the school for hours afterward. The jury wrote the email “deliberately makes no mention of the sexual assault that took place just hours earlier” and was “jeopardizing the safety of all students.”

Ziegler—who was terminated without cause in a unanimous School Board vote Dec. 6, an action that allows him to continue to receive his $323,000 salary for a year plus benefits—on Tuesday issued a statement criticizing the special grand jury’s work as a politically motivated attack.

Morse: ‘I Think the Board Was Misled’ Smith Named

Interim Superintendent; Policy Review Begins

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

Continuing to deal with the fallout from the special grand jury investigation, the School Board last week appointed an interim superintendent, and this week began work to rebuild public trust.

The School Board held an emergency meeting Dec. 8 to appoint Chief of Staff Dan Smith as the interim replacement for

Superintendent Scott Ziegler, who was unanimously fired two nights before.

“I think the board was misled,” Chair Jeff Morse (Dulles) said about the decisions to fire Ziegler. He said he felt the board didn’t have all the information it needed about the sexual assault cases to manage the division.

Morse said the decision came after the board reviewed the special grand jury report, which he said was very

comprehensive and included information of which School Board was previously unaware. He said board members saw a lot of issues that needed to be addressed immediately to restore faith with the community.

“I understand, I completely understand. There was a complete breakdown

Former Loudoun Schools Superintendent Scott Ziegler

School Division Spokesman Wayde Byard CHARGES FILED

Alexis Gustin/Loudoun Now

Chair Jeff Morse (Dulles) speaks to the media for the first time since the Loudoun County School Board fired superintendent Scott Ziegler on Tuesday. On Dec. 8, during an emergency meeting, the Board instated Interim Superintendent Dan Smith.

Supervisors Launch School Segregation Impact Study

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

County supervisors last week voted to launch a two-year project to study the lasting impacts of Loudoun’s long history of school segregation and consider options for reconciliation.

The Dec. 6 vote gives shape to an initiative launched in September 2021, when supervisors voted to work with the School Board to study the disparities caused by that segregation and seek ways to rectify them. That came a year after Loudoun County Public Schools issued a formal apology for operating segregated schools, which county supervisors voted to join— at that time, School Board members were appointed by the Board of Supervisors rather than elected.

The project approved last week was proposed by the county’s new Office of Equity and Inclusion and breaks the work into two phases, led by the University of Virginia’s Center for Race and Public Education in the South. The Board of Supervisors’ finance committee this week

was scheduled to consider setting aside $250,000 from the county budget’s yearend balance to fund both phases of the project.

In the first phase, a task force composed of local historians, the UVA center, and Georgetown University professor emeritus and Massive Resistance scholar James Hershman will study the impact of segregated education on Loudoun County alumni, faculty, staff, their descendants, and the community. They would report to the Board of Supervisors in December 2023.

The follow-up reconciliation task force will include people representing Loudoun’s historically Black villages, Douglass High School and Carver School alumni, and descendants of the Countywide League, the group of Black families that raised $4,000 to buy land to build the future Douglass School, and was forced to sell it to the county for $1. That group will gather community feedback, recommend remedies based on the study group’s findings, and examine continuing institutional inequities in education. That report to

supervisors is expected in October 2024, with those recommendations possibly funded in the county’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget.

Chief Equity Officer Carl Rush dismissed assertions that the project is a “reparations plan,” saying instead it is a “restorative approach to reconcile division and heal from the shared, troubled past in Loudoun County.”

“The aim of a restorative approach is not to establish guilt or a punishment in any way, shape, or form, but to identify our obligations to meet the needs of the people involved, but also to promote healing,” he said.

He also said it takes the work beyond the September 2020 apology from the School Board and Board of Supervisors.

“If we are looking to move forward, there has to be an acknowledgment. There has to be an apology, which has taken place, but also, what do we do about those things?” he said. “We can’t just say if we stop talking about it, it goes away.”

Supervisor Sylvia R. Glass (D-Broad Run), a special education teacher’s

Leesburg’s Holiday and Christmas Parade Lights Up King Street

assistant whose family is closely entwined in the fight to desegregate schools, said the study would help.

“We do have stories about what has happened. And I can go by my own family history, which is only a county away, Prince William County, where my family had been part of integration, where my sister was the only Black person in the school, and all of the things that she went through,” Glass said. “And I even think that there’s some sort of PTSD when we talk about students that had to go through such a traumatic experience at early age. She was in ninth grade, so she was only 14 years old, so I can imagine what she went through. So to have those stories, to tell that story, to have experts bringing that story together—I think that’s important.”

And Rush said the academic-led study will take Loudoun from stories to hard data, as well as a broader understanding of the impacts.

Leesburg’s Holiday and Christmas Parade on Saturday night again ushered Santa down King Street from Ida Lee Park through the historic downtown. Families packed the street to see the floats, fire trucks, animals, lights, music and more for the annual parade.

— Photos by Renss Greene

SEGREGATION STUDY

Loudoun

Regional Plan Includes Rt. 7

Trail, Potomac Bridge

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority has adopted its long-range plan for the region, TransAction, an update that happens every five years and a first step to funding major transportation projects.

The plan lists 424 projects in priority order, with some Loudoun projects near the top. The plan looks ahead to 2045. The authority acknowledges it’s more of a wishlist, with more projects listed than it could fund—an estimated $75 billion in projects. But to be eligible for funding from the authority, which provides more than $100 million a year, projects typically must first appear in TransAction.

The new plan for the first time envisions a region-wide bus rapid transit system, bridging the gap between the Metrorail and Virginia Railway Express rail networks the local bus services.

Some of the plan’s projects are already in Loudoun’s near-term plans. One related project is already a major undertaking for the county, the work to provide transit connections to the new Silver Line Phase II Metrorail stations. TransAction proposes bus service to Metro stops, possibly including more buses, new maintenance and storage facilities, and new bus stops. With three of those stations in Loudoun, the county is already phasing in the largest expansion to its transit system in more than a decade.

And Loudoun’s top-ranked project in the plan is one that is currently jeopardized in Purcellville, a western Loudoun park-and-ride. The county’s plans for a lot in Purcellville—the latest in a series of park-and-ride lots, historically in partnership with the town—have been on hold for two years as they await action from the town. That project is tied up with plans for Fields Farm Park. On Dec. 13, the Purcellville Town Council sent those plans back to the Planning Commission for continued review.

The plan also still contains a longtime regional transportation moon shot—or at least a Maryland shot, a new bridge across the Potomac River in Loudoun County. Previously, that has been proposed as an extension from Rt. 28, across the river into Montgomery County. But with longstanding opposition from Maryland, the bridge has remained an unlikely prospect.

Of the new Loudoun projects added to the plan this year, most are alternatives to getting in the car, and one such proposal is near the top: high-capacity transit between Dulles Town Center and the City of Manassas. That is envisioned to include bus service or even light rail, and is number 32 of 424.

Life in 2022

The county, which opted to keep operating its own Loudoun Transit buses rather than bring in Metro’s bus service, plans 21 new Silver Line bus routes and 156 new bus stops. Those new bus routes will take passengers to and from the Ashburn and Loudoun Gateway stations in Loudoun, and the Innovation and Reston Town Center stations in Fairfax County. More information is at loudoun.gov/silverlinebusroutes.

Ranked just above that in TransAction is a bike and pedestrian trail along Rt. 7 between Leesburg and Alexandria. Although the county has installed shared-use paths along sections of Rt. 7, with work underway in Sterling between Northern Virginia Community College and Lakeland Drive, its capital plans don’t currently include a path all the way to Leesburg.

Other additions include planned sidewalk and trail connections that would link to developments like One Loudoun, Dulles Town Center, Kincora, Ashburn Station, and others. The W&OD Trail would see capacity improvements along its length. Park-and-ride lots could get electronic signs with real-time information. And regionwide initiatives include things like charging infrastructure for electric buses, cars and heavy trucks and on-demand micro-transit service to get to high-capacity transit stops.

The next step to win funding from the authority is for a project to make it into the authority’s Six Year Program. Currently, there are four Loudoun projects in that list, totaling $73.75 million and checking them off in the TransAction plan. Those include a computerized traffic management system on Rt. 7, a third eastbound Rt. 7 lane from Rt. 9 to the Dulles Greenway, widening Ryan Road between Evergreen Mills Road and Beaverdam Drive, and building an interchange at Rt. 50 and Loudoun County Parkway. n

Boyd Named Transportation, Infrastructure Director

Nancy Boyd has been named Loudoun County’s new Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure director. She has been serving as acting director since May 2022, after former director Joe Kroboth was promoted to assistant county administrator.

Boyd joined the county government in June 2021 as the deputy director of the department. Before that, she worked as an engineering manager for WSP USA and had held senior positions in the Washington State Department of Transportation.

As the director of transportation and capital infrastructure, she oversees the county’s transportation system, including its transit and commuter services, long range planning, and traffic engineering; and the planning, design and construction of the county’s capital projects. Depart-

ment staff also serve as technical advisors to the Board of Supervisors on transportation, facility development, regional funding, land acquisition, project scheduling, and cost estimation.

Both are busy jobs. The county has a $796 million capital program building new roads and facilities, and the county’s own transit services are going through a massive expansion as the new Metrorail stations in Loudoun have opened.

More information about the Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure is online at loudoun.gov/DTCI.

‘Home for the Holidays’ Adoption Event Set for Dec. 17

Loudoun County Animal Services will hold its annual Home for the Holidays free pet adoption event Saturday Dec. 17 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Adoption fees will be waived for all available pets, which include cats, kittens, dogs, small pets, and livestock to clear the shelter and help out other shelters.

To help as many pets as possible, Loudoun Animal Services is also transferring in dogs and cats from overcrowded and under-resourced shelters around the region before the event.

“Animal intake numbers at many of our partner shelters are higher than they have been in three years,” Community Relations Manager Talia Czapski said.” They are treading water to save lives and we want to help them. This holiday adoption event gives us the chance to offer hope and homes to animals in need.”

And Santa will stop by for a visit.

The standard adoption screening process will apply; most adoptions can be completed on the same day. All dogs, cats and rabbits adopted from Loudoun Animal Services are spayed or neutered and microchipped, and dogs and cats are vaccinated. To see available pets and learn more, go to loudoun.gov/animals.

3rd Saturday Drop-Off Offered for Haulin’ Trash Customers

Loudoun County will offer a third temporary trash drop-off service Saturday, Dec. 17 for Loudoun residents who were customers of Haulin’ Trash, the company that left hundreds of people without that service when it abruptly went out of business.

Residents may drop off household and yard waste at Park View High School, 400 W. Laurel Ave. in Sterling, on Saturday, Dec. 17 from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. The drop-off site will be in a parking lot adjacent to the school’s ballfields. The fee will be $7 per 10 bags of trash, cash only.

Recycling can be dropped off at the Sterling Park Community Recycling Center, which is also at Park View.

The county also warned it has not scheduled any more trash drop-off events, “as residents should have been able to procure new curbside trash service.”

Learn more about the county landfill at loudoun.gov/landfill, and about other trash hauling services at loudoun.gov/ trashserviceproviders.

ON THE AGENDA continues on page 9

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now Persimmon, a cat adopted from Loudoun County Animal Services, takes a walk near her new home.

Achieve in 2023

Community Foundation Awards $350K Affordable Housing Grant

STAFF REPORT

The Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties and its donor-advised fund, the Loudoun Community Cabinet, have awarded a $350,000 grant to Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing to support the development of a new workforce housing project.

In April, the Loudoun Community Cabinet provided seed funding for the foundation’s launch of Workforce Housing Now, a public-awareness campaign addressing the shortage of workforce housing availability in Loudoun County.

The foundation announced in August that the cabinet would accept funding proposals for projects that advance the production of workforce housing in Loudoun. After a competitive grant process, APAH was selected to receive a $350,000 grant to support pre-development costs for 130 units of affordable housing along Pinebrook Road in southern Loudoun.

“The Cabinet’s goal by launching the Workforce Housing Now campaign is to help our community understand the need for workforce housing here in Loudoun,” stated Dr. Bill Hazel, chair of the Loudoun Community Cabinet and senior deputy executive director of the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation. “The Cabinet’s grant for this new project puts our money where the needs are. We hope the Cabinet inspires other philanthropies to get involved in addressing this important community issue. APAH has a stellar track record of getting the job done regionally and here in Loudoun when it comes to innovative development of workforce housing.”

gion when it opens in 2026 according to APAH.

APAH recently opened Loudoun View Senior Residences, with 98 independent living senior apartments in Cascades. In January, APAH was awarded $1.1 million in state grants to support the construction of affordable housing for seniors in Sterling.

In its first phase of the AvonLea project, APAH will construct 130 housing units for adults over the age of 55 earning between 30% and 60% of the area median income. The cabinet’s grant will fund the pre-development costs associated with planning and implementing the construction project. Eventually, APAH plans to expand the project to 277 units for seniors as well as families of all ages meeting income eligibility guidelines.

“Loudoun County recognizes its growing need for housing to meet people at different ages and stages in life. This award recognizes APAH’s mission, our growing regional presence, and the need for more housing supply that will allow our communities to thrive. We are thankful to the Loudoun Community Cabinet for providing critical funding that directly supports our effort to develop provide quality, stable homes,” stated APAH President & CEO Carmen Romero.

According to the foundation, the Loudoun Community Cabinet was established in 2019 as a component fund of the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties and is comprised of local philanthropists who seek to leverage their voices and resources to address human service gaps in Loudoun County through high-impact grantmaking and community initiatives.

Life in 2022

The development, temporarily called AvonLea, will be a model for multigenerational affordable housing in the re-

Learn more at communityfoundationlf.org. n

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE

We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap.

All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.”

This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-9753.

fairhousing@dpor.virginia.gov www.fairhousing.vipnet.org

After Alligator Sighting, County Considers Banning Exotic Animals

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

After a free-roaming, privately-owned alligator was spotted near a vineyard, Loudoun County supervisors are considering banning private ownership and breeding of some exotic and venomous animals.

According to a county staff report prepared for the board’s Finance, Government Operations and Economic Development Committee, the issue was raised after law enforcement officers were called to a home in western Loudoun for a report of a possible alligator.

Officers from the county Department of Animal Services and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources found not only one alligator, but three, along with a caiman and seven venomous snakes, including Gaboon vipers and an 11-foot king cobra. The Gaboon viper is noted for having the longest fangs of any venomous snake and producing the most venom, and both it and the king cobra have potentially deadly bites. The nearest effective antivenom is at the Smithsonian National Zoo, where supplies are limited. The next-nearest antivenom is at the Kentucky

Reptile Zoo.

Meanwhile, officers found that one of the alligators was allowed to roam the property freely, and went missing for more than a week, a period in which it was spotted from the vineyard. Eventually, it returned to the owner’s property and was euthanized. The other two alligators and the caiman were removed by the Department of Wildlife Resources because the owner lacked required permits.

However, the venomous snakes remain, with no restrictions on containment, because officers determined no such regulations exist. And according to county staff members, they are not the only such menagerie—Loudoun County Animal Services offers report investigating complaints of other venomous snakes, wolf hybrids, scorpions, and monkeys.

The proposed new ordinance would not only restrict owning and breeding those species, but others that can carry dangerous animal-borne diseases such as rabies, leprosy, tuberculosis, salmonella, hepatitis, polio, and measles.

“The number of vaccines that you have to get if you’re working in a lab with primates is in the double digits,” Department of Animal Services Director Nina Stively told the committee Dec. 13.

And she pointed out when they get loose, they can also be a threat to native species.

State and federal agencies, USDA-licensed zoos and DWR-licensed rehabilitators would be exempted. People who already own one of those animals would be permitted to keep them for the rest of their natural life, but would be required to provide information about the animal the Loudoun County Animal Services, so first responders can be aware if they are dispatched to that residence.

The animals proposed to be banned include primate, raccoon, skunk, wolf or wolf hybrid, coyote, squirrel, fox, leopard, panther, tiger, lion, cheetah, bear, wild cat (including bobcat, lynx and caracal, serval, ocelot) or wild cat hybrid, crocodilian (including alligators, caimans, gavials), venomous snake, venomous reptile, scorpions (other than those in the genus Pandinus); widow, recluse, funnel-web, banana/ wandering, sand or trap-door spiders and tarantulas (except those native to North or South America and the Mexican redknee variety) or any other warm-blooded mammal or marsupial that can normally be found in a wild state.

The ordinance would exempt domestically bred or legally imported birds,

ratites, non-venomous snakes, non-venomous reptiles, rear-fanged snakes, amphibians, fish, ferrets, rabbits, rats, mice, gerbils, chinchillas, hedgehogs, sugar gliders and guinea pigs.

Breaking the new law would be a Class 4 misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $250. If a restricted animal is found to be running at large, it will be confiscated, and the owner will be required to pay a fee to offset the costs of locating, capturing, and housing the animal.

Similar ordinances already exist in Leesburg and Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William counties. Virginia law already restricts private ownership of many other wild and exotic animals, such as big cats and bears.

The county’s Animal Advisory Committee voted unanimously to recommend the proposed ordinance in November. The finance committee took no immediate action while the ordinance gets more work. To become law it will have to go through a public hearing and vote at the full Board of Supervisors.

Loudoun County Animal Services also plans an online public information meeting Thursday, Jan. 5 at 6 p.m. More information will be posted at loudoun.gov/calendar. n

ON THE Agenda

VCE Loudoun Graduates 17 Master Gardeners

The Virginia Cooperative Extension Loudoun has graduated 17 volunteers into the Extension Master Gardener program.

The graduates completed more than 65 hours of instruction and 75 hours in internships learning about best practices in horticulture. They join a county-wide volunteer organization with over 120 active members, educating Loudoun in best management practices for environmentally sound and sustainable landscapes.

As an educational program of Virginia Cooperative Extension, Extension Master Gardeners bring the resources of Virginia’s land-grant universities, Virginia Tech and Virginia State University, to the rest of the state.

Master Gardeners offer a variety of programs, including Sunday garden clinics with plant diagnostic services and education; the hands-on demonstration garden at Ida Lee Park, which this year was awarded a Signatures of Loudoun design excellence award; and homeowner visits upon request to assess lawn health and offer education on proper maintenance to avoid unnecessary runoff and fertilizers.

More information, including how to become a Master Garden, is online at loudouncountymastergardeners.org.

The class of 2023 is already full; applications for the class of 2024 will open next September.

County Seeks Project-Based Voucher Proposals from Rental Owners, Developers

The Loudoun County Department of Housing & Community Development will accept proposals from now through Jan. 23, from the owners of rental properties to contract with the county for Project-Based Vouchers.

Vouchers will be awarded to rental property owners for assistance tied to specific rental housing units, either newly constructed or rehabilitated.

Proposals will be evaluated based on an owner’s experience and capability to manage or build rental housing as identified in the proposal. Applications should address to what extent the project deconcentrates poverty and expands housing and economic opportunities; fulfills a critical housing need identified in the Loudoun County Unmet Housing Needs Strategic Plan; is located near transportation, education and employment centers, and in a census tract undergoing

significant revitalization as a result of federal, state or local dollars invested, where there are meaningful opportunities for educational and economic advancement; and if applicable, provides services for special populations on-site or in the immediate area.

Proposals must be submitted electronically by email to hcv@loudoun.gov no later than 5 p.m., Jan. 23. For more information, go to loudoun.gov/projectbasedvouchers or contact Tandi Butler in the Department of Housing & Community Development by email at tandi.butler@ loudoun.gov or phone at 703-771-5204.

Residents Encouraged to Take Community Survey

Loudoun County is asking residents to participate in The National Community Survey, a period survey to gather feedback on government services, the county’s quality of life and priorities for government initiatives.

The survey has been used in more than 700 jurisdictions across 46 states to help improve governmental performance, guide policy, strengthen communications with community stakeholders and identify clear priorities for goal and budget set-

ting, and to make comparisons with peer counties. It includes questions about quality of life in the community, local policies, demographics, rating of local government services and residents’ use of services.

Five thousand households, selected to be a statistically representative sampling of Loudoun County, are scheduled to receive the survey invitation in the mail in mid-December.

For more information on the 2022 Loudoun County survey, call 703-7770539. To view results of previous surveys, go to loudoun.gov/survey. n

Leesburg

Construction Begins on Downtown Redevelopment Project

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

After more than a decade of planning, the developers of the Church & Market development in downtown Leesburg celebrated the groundbreaking for the project Dec. 7.

The project includes 116 rental apartments and more than 33,000 square feet combined of retail, restaurant and office space on the former Loudoun Times-Mirror property off Market Street, stretching back to the parking lot and alley that borders Church and Loudoun streets. It was approved by the Town Council in 2019.

“This is a transformative project in a strategic block of the historic district, adding hundreds of residents and employees to the heart of downtown’s already-vibrant economy,” said Blair White, managing partner of L4 Capital.

The two-year construction project begins with the demolition of the former Times-Mirror printing and warehouse

building in the next few weeks. That will be followed by six months of site work, including utilities and stormwater management. Most of the work will be on the interior of the 1.6-acre property, with only occasional nighttime closures of Church

Street expected. The path to

has been a long one.

CHURCH & MARKET continues on page 13

Town Council Approves Dentler, Spera Raises

The Town Council on Tuesday approved annual raises for the town manager and town attorney.

Town Manager Kaj Dentler has received a 4% raise, bringing his salary to $227,396. Town Attorney Christopher Spera received a 3% raise, bringing his salary to $196,267. They are the two employees who are hired directly by the Town Council. Both received raises at the same rates last year.

The raises were approved unanimously on the council’s consent agenda.

Parking Garage Repair Price Triples

The cost of making structural repairs to the Town Hall Parking Garage is climbing—steeply.

On Tuesday night, the Town Council approved a change order in the contract with Eastern Waterproofing and Restoration of Virginia, providing an additional $185,000 to complete the concreate repairs. The original contract, awarded in September, was for a total cost of $93,482.

According to a staff report, since the contractor started work on the project, the number of “concrete deficiencies that need to be addressed have exceeded those shown in the structural study from May of 2019.”

Parking in the garage, which was built in 1990, will continued to be limited, and free, while crews make the repairs.

Also during the Dec. 13 meeting, the council approved another change order to the contract with Whitman, Requardt and Associates for easement acquisition service as part of the project to replace and relocate water and sewer mains at the Exeter Dam. That contract doubled, from an original cost of $98,149 to a new total of $196,971.

TOWN continues on page 11

construction

Alexis Gustin/Loudoun Now

From left, Landmark Commercial Real Estate Vice President of Development Blair White, Leesburg Town Councilman Neil Steinberg, Mayor Kelly Burk and Landmark Commercial Real Estate principal Bob White break ground on Dec. 7 at the Church and Market site.

Contributed

A rendering of the Church & Market redevelopment project as viewed from Loudoun Street.

AROUND Town

continued from page 10

Marshall Nominated for BZA Seat

After briefly returning to the School Board as an appointee to fill the Leesburg District seat, Tom Marshall is seeking to continue his public service as a member of Leesburg’s Board of Zoning Appeals.

On Tuesday, the Town Council approved his nomination to fill the seat previously held by Joseph Carter, who resigned in August.

If approved by the Circuit Court, Marshall, a real estate agent and former educator, will serve in the post for a term ending Dec. 21, 2023.

Parks Commission to Consider Ida Lee Stage

A proposal to expand the town’s performing arts space with the construction of an outdoor stage at Ida Lee Park has been sent to the town’s Park and Recreation Advisory Commission for review.

Council member Ara Bagdasarian suggested the study. During preliminary discussions with the town staff, a sloped field between the park’s soccer fields and the outdoor pool complex was picked as a suitable location for the project, which could be a small band shell geared for 100 to 200 spectators or be a larger performance venue accommodating thousands. The facility would be larger than the park’s gazebo or the Town Hall stage to allow performances by symphonies, chorale groups, or community theater.

During an introductory discussion during Monday’s Town Council work session, members indicated they were open to the concept. Among the concerns raised were protecting neighbors from noise associated with the use.

The parks commission will be tasked with studying the scale and feasibility of an outdoor stage at the park. n

Jingle Jam Returns to the Tally Ho Stage

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

Leesburg’s favorite holiday concert, Jingle Jam, made its triumphant return to the Tally Ho Theater stage for the first time since 2019 for three sold-out shows Friday and Saturday.

Once again, people lined up in the early morning hours when tickets went on

sale in November to the Leesburg tradition. It’s the only chance to see so many of Loudoun’s musical stars in one place— the Jingle Jam Band, launched by Todd Wright and Stilson Greene in 2007, now includes Wright, Jon Carroll, Gary Smallwood, Tobias Smith, Mark Williams, Kim Pittinger, Prescott Engle and Cal Everett, who now helps organize the show since Greene retired from organizing the show.

The event was also a fundraiser for Loudoun Hunger Relief and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Mid-Atlantic VA. n

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now Cal Everett performs at Tally Ho Theatre for Jingle Jam Friday, Dec. 9.

Leesburg Police Officers Provide Kids’ Shopping Spree

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

There was a heavy law enforcement presence at the Leesburg Target store Dec. 8 as members of the town Police Department took nearly 20 kids on a holiday shopping spree.

It was part of the annual “Shop with a Cop” program organized by the town officers and supported by dozens of businesses and individuals.

The evening started with dinner at the Leesburg Diner, provided by owner Michael O’Connor, and a meet-and-greet with Mayor Kelly Burk. Next, participants took a ride in a squad car to the Target store equipped with $250 to buy gifts. Then it was over to the town Public Safety Center where officers and volunteers helped wrap them up.

Officer Josh Carter, one of the program’s coordinators, said 27 elementary and middle school students will be served this year. Not all of them could attend Friday night, so officers will be shopping with their wish lists and dropping the packages off at their homes.

Most of the funding is raised during

a silent auction event held each July at Bear Chase Brewery, but support comes in year-round, Carter said.

“We get people who send checks in. It is totally awesome,” he said. “Town businesses, they hear about it and they want to be all in. That’s the great thing about living in Leesburg and working here. People

are so generous.”

Carter, who also serves as Loudoun County High School’s school resource officer, said the special part of the program for the officers is making connections with the kids—and seeing their generosity.

“We have kids who buy Christmas

trees for their family. It’s super cool. You really get to understand their train of thought and their logic—where their values are. It’s family. They’re thinking about mom and dad and everybody else,” Carter said.

“It’s a good time. The kids have a blast.” n

Leesburg Police Department

The Leesburg Diner hosted the annual Shop with a Cop dinner Dec. 8.

Church & Market

“When I started on the project many years back, I try not to do the math because I always have to add a year,” White said during the groundbreaking ceremony. “My benchmark is when we first started this, I had no house, no wife, no fiancée, no kids, and maybe no gray hair. That has all changed while I’ve been working on this.”

“This was a unique project. It’s hard to fit something brand new like this into the kind of historic fabric we have here in Leesburg and that has been here for as long as it has,” he said.

Leesburg Director of Economic Development Russell Seymour said the downtown redevelopment project will be a boon to the town. “It really speaks volumes about Leesburg and the community talking about reinvesting in the town,” he said.

“When you look at downtown areas, one of the things everyone is concerned about is you see the areas where downtown sort of ebbs and flows, and development in different areas tends to pull people

out of the downtown,” he said. “Leesburg has done a good job at keeping people and balancing that out between downtown and the surrounding lands.”

White said the development’s office component, with 12,000 square feet of space, is an important addition to the inventory downtown, where few buildings can accommodate large corporate clients.

“This project is a really great redevelopment story. We are talking about buildings; you’ve got a development company now that is very anxious to come in to work with the town and is looking at redeveloping an entire block. You need that. That is part of the growth,” Seymour said.

Torti Gallas principal and chairman John Torti led the team of planners and architect that converted the originally approved, chiefly commercial development into a more residentially focused one and that won approval of the Town Council.

“It was a privilege to work on this project. The way we see it in our firm is we love traditional urbanism and traditional architecture, and when we can combine them both in such a precious place it doesn’t go unnoticed,” he said.

Learn more about the project at livechurchandmarket.com. n

CABINET

Education

AWS Think Big Space Opens at J.L. Simpson

BY ALEXIS GUSTIN agustin@loudounnow.com

Amazon Web Services’s newest Think Big Space in Virginia opened Thursday at J.L. Simpson Middle School in Leesburg.

The AWS Think Big Space is an educational lab for students at the school and throughout the county that builds on the division’s existing computer science programming that was first integrated in 2017.

Division Computer Science Supervisor Nicholas Grzeda will lead the programming and use of the new 2,100-squarefoot space. He said the lab will provide opportunities for students to “engage with a variety of technologies and will enhance their computational thinking skills.” He also said it will provide professional development opportunities for and give area businesses a chance to connect with the school division through the Community Connections, CTE and Computer Science teams at events at the space throughout the year.

Grzeda said he’s eager to get started.

“I can’t wait to get teachers in here every day. The students are excited. They’ve come in and looked around. They are hungry to be in here,” Grzeda said.

He said the space will always be open to students no matter what is going on inside.

“If a student needs to come in and use

a 3D printer for a class, I’m going to let them come in. It will always be open, that’s what makes it unique,” he said.

He said he looks forward to having guest speakers come in and to develop partnerships with businesses to provide work-based learning experiences and internships.

He said the goal is to form symbiotic relationships with area businesses.

“For years, we’ve asked businesses for

the wrong things, money. I’d rather have businesses come in and work directly with the students,” he said.

Through a partnership with the school division and CodeVa, the space will also serve as an educational hub for teachers in Northern Virginia, providing free professional development programs.

The AWS Think Big Space features an integrated environment where everything from the furniture, technology, and

School Division Receives $25K Child Hunger Grant

STAFF REPORT

Loudoun County Public Schools recently received a $25,000 grant from No Kid Hungry Virginia.

The grant was part of a larger disbursement, $255,801 total, distributed by the organization across 17 school districts and community organizations in Virginia.

The grants will support a variety of needs such as meal service equipment upgrades as well as launching farm to school and backpack programs, according to a release from the organization.

Childhood hunger continues to be a problem with about one in 10 Virginia children facing food insecurity, according to the release citing the latest esti-

mates from Feeding America.

No Kid Hungry’s focus is on increasing access to meal programs that are managed by school divisions and local

curriculum work together to encourage hands-on, interactive, and project-based learning, according to an announcement from Amazon. It provides opportunities to be creative and imaginative by giving students access to various AWS technologies – including virtual reality devices, 3D Printing, drones, artificial intelligence, and robotics.

The AWS Think Big Space adds to the division’s Virginia K-12 Computer Science Pipeline program, which focuses on teaching students at an early age to problem solve in an effort to prepare them for the work force. The lab does this by providing students with a space beyond the classroom “to further cultivate interests in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, (STEAM) and develop awareness of various career paths,” according to the statement.

During the Dec. 9 the grand opening, Amazon Future Engineer, the company’s global philanthropic computer science education program, announced a $1 million donation to CodeVA, a nonprofit focused on expanding access to computer science education and literacy in Virginia. The funding will go toward the expansion of computer science education, as well as teacher and professional development efforts at the new lab.

BIG continues on page 15

nonprofits.

“Our talented and devoted nutrition teams know what works in their communities and this latest round of investments will help operators innovate and reach more kids,” No Kid Hungry Virginia Director Sarah Steely said. “We remain committed to supporting schools, community-based organizations, and regional food banks that are working to close the hunger gap in the commonwealth.”

No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty, according to the release. n

THINK

Contributed/Amazon

Several students try out the virtual reality sets at the AWS Think Big Space at J.L. Simpson Middle School. The space opened officially on Dec. 8.

Cornelia Robinson, global lead of Inclusion and Outreach for AWS said the company was proud to open its first AWS Think Big Space in Loudoun County.

“We strongly believe in the power of education to unlock human potential. Through this space, as well as the various education programs we support throughout Virginia, we hope to activate student’s spirit of innovation and create the next generation of leaders,” she said.

The AWS Think Big Space at J. Lupton Simpson Middle School is the third space funded by Amazon in Virginia, but the first in Loudoun County. In 2019, Prince William County Public Schools opened the world’s first AWS Think Big Space at River Oaks Elementary, and earlier this year Arlington County Public Schools opened a space at Wakefield High School. In addition, through Amazon Future Engineer, Amazon supports about 700 schools across Virginia with computer science curriculum, robotics clubs, and project-based learning. n

Nicholas Grzeda works with two J.L. Simpson Middle School students in the AWS Think Big Space at the school. The space opened officially on Dec. 8.

Public Safety

Supreme Court Reverses Judge’s Disqualification of Loudoun Prosecutor

BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.com

The Supreme Court of Virginia last week annulled a Loudoun Circuit Court judge’s order to remove the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office from the prosecution of a burglary suspect.

Judge James E. Plowman took the unusual action June 9 after alleging prosecutors made misrepresentations in the plea agreement that had been proposed in the case in December 2021. Plowman said the information submitted to support the deal lacked a “full review of the facts” and questioned whether the omissions were an attempt to “sell” the plea agreement.

After a series of hearings in which Plowman sought more information from prosecutors about the suspect, who had been convicted of similar charges in Fauquier County, the judge disqualified the Loudoun Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office from handling the case. He also recused himself from further involvement with the case.

Subsequently, Judge James P. Fisher appointed Fauquier County Commonwealth’s Attorney Scott Hook to prosecute to prosecute the two felony burglary charges and three misdemeanor charges

against Kevin E. Valle.

The case has been on hold pending the Supreme Court appeal filed by Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj. A scheduling hearing is set for Feb. 9.

In December, 2021, Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Michele Burton submitted a plea agreement and supporting proffer of facts that were accepted by Plowman in late March. While the felony breaking and entering charges carry sentences of one to 20 years in prison, the plea agreement proposed a six-month active sentence on the two felonies and the additional charges of destruction of property and giving false identification to law enforcement. He also would be required to pay $2,289 in restitution to the Halal Asian Market, the Sterling Smoke Shop, and the Delhi Bazaar.

Plowman objected to prosecutors’ characterizations that Valle had no prior criminal history, despite numerous pending felony charges in the other jurisdictions and Valle having entered a guilty plea to three felony counts in Fauquier County just days before the plea agreement was filed in Loudoun.

Plowman also disputed the characterization that Valle had fallen under the influence of an older suspect with a longer

criminal history. He wrote that Valle, at age 19 years and 5 months at the time of the crimes, was only 13 months younger than his alleged co-conspirator. And, he wrote, both had extensive juvenile records, with Valle having 15 charges and eight convictions and the second suspect 11 charges and 11 convictions.

In its ruling, the Supreme Court ruled that Plowman did not provide adequate notice to Biberaj’s office of his intent to order the disqualification.

“Although Judge Plowman made statements that he believed the [statement of facts] was misleading or incomplete, he never notified Burton or anyone in Biberaj’s office that he was contemplating finding that anyone in that office had committed professional misconduct or was unfit to continue prosecuting Valle’s case,” the court wrote. “Further, Judge Plowman never provided notice that he might discipline Biberaj or her subordinates, whether by disqualification or otherwise, based on such findings.”

In September, Plowman also disqualified Biberaj from prosecuting charges against the father of one of the victims in Loudoun County Public School’s sexual assault scandal. In that case, a hearing was held prior to the disqualification. n

SAFETY briefs

Sheriff’s Office Investigating Fatal Crash in Sterling

The Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal crash that happened Monday morning in Sterling.

The crash happened just before 2:45 a.m. Dec. 12 in the 500 block of East Staunton Avenue. According to the preliminary report, the driver of a 2013 Dodge Charger was traveling on that road when he struck two parked vehicles. The driver, Jason A. Recinos-Funes, 25, of Sterling, was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Witnesses to the crash who have not already spoken with law enforcement are asked to contact Investigator T. Alpy at 703-777-1021.

Tips Lead to Arrest in Leesburg 7-Eleven Robbery

The Leesburg Police Department credits tips from the public in Sunday’s arrest of the suspect in the Dec. 3 robbery at the Dry Mill Road 7-Eleven store.

According to the report, shortly before 1 a.m. Dec. 3, police received a report that a man had demanded cash from the clerk. The suspect took an undisclosed amount of cash from the register as well as merchandise and fled the store on foot. The clerk was not injured during the encounter.

Leesburg Police detectives subsequently released video surveillance still images of the suspect, and the resulting information from the public directly led to the identification of the suspect, according to the agency.

On Dec. 11, Shaquante Simms was arrested in Berkley County, WV. He was

held without bond at the Eastern Regional Jail and Corrections Facility in Martinsburg, WV, on the Leesburg charge as well as charges from other Virginia and West Virginia law enforcement agencies, according to the report.

Sprinklers Douse Sterling Apartment Fire

A laundry room fire in a Sterling apartment was quickly extinguished Tuesday afternoon when the sprinkler system activated.

The fire occurred in a Fessenden Terrace residence in the Fields at Cascades neighborhood.

No injuries were reported, but the family of four adults and two children were displaced because of the water and smoke damage in the apartment. n

Former Church Friar Convicted in 1985 Sexual Abuse Case

STAFF REPORT

Just before the start of a five-day jury trial, a former priest at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Purcellville on Monday entered a guilty plea to a felony charge of carnal knowledge of a minor between 13 and 15 years of age.

The abuse occurred in 1985 when Scott Asalone, now 65, was 29 and the victim was a minor.

The Asbury Park, NJ, resident was indicted in 2020 by a Loudoun County grand jury following an investigation by the Virginia State Police and the Virginia Attorney General’s Office. He was arrested in New Jersey on March 14, 2020.

Asalone entered an Alford plea, in which he did not admit guilt, but acknowledges prosecutors have evidence required to obtain a conviction. A sentencing hearing is scheduled April 13. The Class 4 felony carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

“Every victim deserves to be heard. My office is dedicated to investigating and prosecuting those who prey on children to the fullest extent of the law. Virginia has no tolerance for child molesters. I encourage anyone who has been a victim of clergy abuse to contact the Virginia State Police, as it’s never too late to fight for justice,” Attorney General Miyares stated in announcing the conviction.

Following Asalone’s arrest in 2020, then-DC City Councilman David Grosso issued a statement acknowledging that he was the victim in the case.

According to a February 2019 report of past sexual abuse allegations released by the Diocese of Arlington, Asalone was ordained in 1983, removed from public ministry in 1993 and dismissed form his religious order in 2007.

At the time of the indictment, then-Attorney General Mark Herring said the action resulted from a broader investigation with Virginia State Police to determine whether criminal sexual abuse of children occurred in Virginia’s Catholic dioceses and whether leadership in the dioceses may have covered up or abetted such crimes. n

of Utilities, Engineering Programs Utilities $86,040-$156,137 DOQ Open until filled

Assistant Zoning Administrator Planning & Zoning $72,952-$132,386 DOQ Open until filled

Billing and Collections Coordinator Finance & Administrative Services Department $52,446-$95,178 DOQ Open until filled

Communications Technician (Police Dispatcher) Police $50,000-$88,774 DOQ Open until filled

Deputy Director of Public Works and Capital Projects Public Works & Capital Projects $93,438-$169,567 DOQ Open until filled

Groundskeeper Parks & Recreation $50,000-$81,495 DOQ Open until filled

Head Lifeguard (Full Time) Parks & Recreation $50,000-$63,626 DOQ Open until filled

Land Acquisition Manager Town Attorney $72,952-$132,387 DOQ Open until filled

Maintenance Worker I

Public Works & Capital Projects $50,000-$75,040 DOQ Open until filled

Police Detective Police $68,356-$109,934 DOQ Open until filled

Police Officer Police $62,000-$109,934 DOQ Open until filled

Police School Resource Officer Police $68,356-$109,934 DOQ Open until filled

Police Traffic Officer Police $68,356-$109,934 DOQ Open until filled

Senior Engineer Plan Review $70,374-$127,560 DOQ Open until filled

Stormwater and Environmental Manager

Public Works & Capital Projects $82,999-$150,445 DOQ Open until filled

Utility Inspector II Utilities $56,956-$103,363 DOQ Open until filled

Utility Plant Technician or Senior Utility Plant Technician Utilities $50,000-$95,178 DOQ Open until filled

Water Meter Operations Supervisor Utilities $61,857-$112,250 DOQ Open until filled

Nonprofit

Toys for Tots Returns to Form at CyrusOne

BY RENSS GREENE rgreene@loudounnow.com

The massive undertaking to make sure every child who celebrates has a gift waiting under the Christmas tree returned to its pre-pandemic form this year, with firefighters and volunteers unloading and sorting truckloads of donations in a space donated by data center operator CyrusOne.

On Friday, volunteers for Toys for Tots stacked boxes and bags high in a vacant room of one of the company’s data centers. They now have begun the work of sorting them by age and gender, to make long rows of toys ready for pickup by local nonprofits.

In 2020 and 2021, safety concerns prompted Loudoun Toys for Tots organizers to focus on fundraising to buy toys rather than collecting toy donations, to avoid gathering the large groups of volunteers to collect, sort and distribute toys as they do most years. But this year, that work returned, with volunteers and toys

once again streaming into a place normally locked down tight—a data center campus.

Data center employees, Marine Corps League members and others volunteered to help out. The Loudoun County Combined Fire-Rescue System also stepped up to help with collecting, loading and sorting toys.

Retired Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Frank Holtz leads Loudoun’s Toys for Tots campaign as part of Marine Corps League Detachment 1205. He said he made the connection to CyrusOne through Loudoun Fire-Rescue Chief Keith Johnson, who offered to make the introductions.

CyrusOne Regional Operations Director Robert Smith said having some office space not currently being leased presented an opportunity.

“With the data center volume in Loudoun County alone, it’s hard, just because of the amount of customer volume that we have,” he said. “So given this opportunity to give back to the community, use this space, we wanted to take full ad-

vantage of it.”

“The last two years were difficult for us, because we had to raise money to buy all the toys for all the requests from all the nonprofits that signed up with us in Loudoun County. We were able to meet those needs last year,” Holtz said. “By looking at what we have today, it looks like we’ll be able to meet the needs of the county nonprofits again this year.”

This year is the 75th anniversary of the Marine Corps’ signature national toy drive, and the 11th year that it is led in Loudoun by Holtz and his wife Rita Sartori. In that time, they have grown it far beyond the program they first took over. And the work continues—Holtz and Sartori have a full lineup of Toys for Tots fundraisers still to come this season, and more toys in certain age groups will likely be needed as they finalize their donations.

For this year, toy collections are mostly done, as they move to sorting the donated toys and getting them out to nonprofits. But to support Toys for Tots by helping cover costs, or to apply for assistance, go to loudoun-va.toysfortots.org. n

Impact Fund Awards $122K to Nonprofits

STAFF REPORT

The Loudoun Impact Fund on Tuesday celebrated the award of $112,000 in grants to 14 nonprofit organizations serving Loudoun County. Grant awards were made possible by approximately 50 individuals and businesses that pooled their charitable gifts.

The Loudoun Impact Fund brings together people and businesses interested in grantmaking administered through a joint effort of the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia and the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties. Participants make a gift of $1,000 per individual or $5,000 per business to join the giving circle. Members then participate in the review of grant requests and the selection of recipients.

This year, more than $633,000 was requested from 59 organizations, highlighting the scale of community need that continue to increase in the wake of the pandemic and rising inflation.

Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties Vice President of Grants and Nonprofit Programs Nicole Acosta noted the long-term impact of the giving circle’s grantmaking.

“Since 2014, the Loudoun Impact Fund has granted $911,725 into the community,” she said. “We’re very grateful for the tremendous generosity of this year’s donors who truly understand the importance of supporting their community through philanthropy.”

In addition to individual members, this year’s corporate donors to the Loudoun Impact Fund included Backflow Technology, Fortessa Tableware Solutions, ILM Capital LLC, Madison Wealth Management, and Tony Nerantzis and Associates at Raymond James.

Donors focused on funding initiatives serving at-risk children and youth, seniors, and people with disabilities, and recommended IMPACT

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Volunteers help sort piles of donated toys by age and gender inside space donated by data center operator CyrusOne for Toys for Tots on Friday, Dec. 9.

Impact fund

the following grants:

A FARM LESS ORDINARY, $7,000 to support packaging, food safety training, and management of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in finished goods and employment training program;

ALL AGES READ TOGETHER, $5,000 to support free, quality preschool and in-class community experiences for preschool-aged children residing in Loudoun County;

A PLACE TO BE, $10,000 to support therapeutic social groups for youth and young adults with disabilities;

CROSSROADS JOBS, $5,000 to support job search training, job placement and post placement support services for low-income Loudoun County residents;

DULLES SOUTH FOOD PANTRY, $7,000 to support infants and seniors in Loudoun County who are facing food insecurity and other needs;

LAWS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT SERVICES, $13,000 to support trau-

ma therapy and advocacy services for child victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Loudoun County;

FRIENDS OF LOUDOUN MENTAL HEALTH INC., $5,000 to support homelessness prevention program providing housing subsidies

to Loudoun County residents in mental health treatment;

LEGACY FARMS, $5,000 to support workforce training for neurodivergent individuals with disabilities 16 and older in Loudoun County;

LOUDOUN CARES, $7,000 to support emergency financial assistance and referral program for low-income families with children and seniors facing instability;

LOUDOUN HUNGER RELIEF, $9,000 to support emergency grocery program for low-income senior adults in Loudoun County;

LOUDOUN EDUCATION FOUNDATION, $8,000 to support in-school food pantries for low-income students in need in Loudoun County;

LOUDOUN VOLUNTEER CAREGIVERS, $9,000 to support services for aging in place including assisted transportation and supportive services;

THE ARC OF LOUDOUN, $10,000 to support people with disabilities and their families in Loudoun County who need emergency financial relief; and

THE RYAN BARTEL FOUNDATION, $12,000 to support for FORTitude series of youth suicide prevention programs for teens and parents.

Learn more at communityfoundationlf.org.

PEOPLE WHO WORK IN LOUDOUN SHOULD BE ABLE TO LIVE IN LOUDOUN

Meet Courtney.

Courtney is a manager of a hotel in Ashburn. Though Courtney and her husband tried to buy a home in Loudoun, the market forced her out of Loudoun. She now has a 60 minute commute adding to local road congestion.

She’s not alone. 61.2% of Loudoun’s workforce lives outside the county. More housing options for Loudoun’s workforce is essential to the future of Loudoun.

Shape Loudoun’s Future. Join Us. workforcehousingnow.org

Workforce Housing Now is an initiative of the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties.

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

Representatives of the nonprofit organizations receiving grantes from the Loudoun Impact Fund gathered Tuesday night during the annual grant presentation ceremony at Fortessa Tableware Solutions showroom at One Loudoun.

Business

20 Finalists Selected for Chamber Community Leadership Awards

STAFF REPORT

The Loudoun Chamber announced the 2023 Loudoun Community Leadership Awards finalists. These programs honor businesses and community leaders who have demonstrated exemplary leadership and commitment to support the strength and vitality of the county.

The awards will be presented during the Chamber’s 55th annual meeting on Jan. 20 at The National Conference Center in Lansdowne.

“Loudoun County is truly blessed to have so many strong community leaders who are committed to serving Loudoun with generosity, hard work and sacrifice

to support all who live, work and play in Loudoun. The Loudoun Chamber is proud to honor these outstanding Community Leaders, who serve as valuable examples for what it means to serve others,” stated Chamber President & CEO Tony Howard in announcing the finalists.

The finalists for these awards were chosen in five categories:

EXECUTIVE LEADER AWARD: Peggy Musgrave, Fortessa Tableware Solutions; Dr. Edward Puccio, Inova Loudoun Hospital; Dr. David Johnson, National Sports Medicine Institute; and Bruce Rahmani, Falcon Heating & Air Conditioning.

NONPROFIT EXECUTIVE AWARD: Samantha L. Clarke, Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter (LAWS); Paul Donohue, Jr., Every Citizen Has Opportunities; Melissa Hinton, Loudoun Serenity House; and Danielle Nadler, Loudoun Education Foundation.

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS AWARD: Erin Lombardi, E.L. Strategic; Monti Mercer, HHMI Janelia Research Campus; Katie Schneider, The Marketing Management Group; and Catie Dugan Vargas, USTA Mid-Atlantic Section, Inc.

LARGE BUSINESS (100 EMPLOYEES OR MORE) AWARD: BCT-The Community’s Bank, Equinix, HHMI Janelia Research

BUSINESS briefs

Campus, and Sandy Spring Bank.

SMALL BUSINESS (LESS THAN 100 EMPLOYEES) AWARD: Capitol Productions Television, Climatic Heating and Cooling, Good Works, and Road Runner Wrecker Service.

The award winners in each category will have the opportunity to select a nonprofit organization to receive a $1,000 grant provided by the Community Foundation of Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties.

For more information, or to purchase sponsorships or tickets, go to LoudounChamber.org n

Marteney Installed as DAAR President

The Dulles Area Association of Realtors installed its 2023 president and board of directors during its annual holiday party last week at Belmont Country Club.

Allan Marteney takes over as the 60th president of the association that serves more than 1,300 Realtors in Loudoun County. Marteney is an agent with Fathom Realty and has been an active DAAR member since 2000. Marteney served on the DAAR staff 2008 to 2015.

Marteney is joined on DAAR’s executive committee by President-elect Ida Dennis of Century 21 Redwood Realty, Treasurer Robin Frank of Brown-Carrera Realty, and Immediate Past President Rich Blessing of Weichert, Realtors, Commercial Division.

Learn more at dullesarea.com.

Singh Foot Center Opens in Sterling

The Singh Foot & Ankle Healing Center, a concierge practice that specializes in minimally invasive foot and ankle surgery done in the office with no hardware and only using local anesthesia, recently celebrated its opening in Sterling.

The practice is founded by Dr. Diltaj

Singh and Dr. Shaan Singh. The office treats painful bunions, hammertoes, heel spurs, arthritic joints, and other deformities caused by flexible flat feet, among other conditions. They said the benefits of minimally invasive surgery include faster recovery time, less scar formation with a more cosmetic incision, and less pain and swelling when compared to a traditional surgical approach. Patients are able to walk right after the procedure in a surgical shoe and continue daily activities with only minor restrictions.

Avoiding the use of opioids, the practice has partnered with a family-owned farm to prescribe the medical-grade USA-made topical CBD products for pain and inflammation.

The office is located at 21430 Cedar Dr., Suite 211 in Sterling. Learn more at singhfootdoc.com.

Inova Loudoun Among Leapfrog Top Hospitals

Inova Loudoun Hospital has been named one of nonprofit healthcare watchdog The Leapfrog Group’s Top Hospitals for 2022, and Inova President and CEO Dr. J. Stephen Jones was presented the Steven Schroeder Award for Outstanding Healthcare CEO.

Two other Inova hospitals, Inova Fair Oaks Hospital and Inova Fairfax Medical Campus, were also among the

group’s top hospitals for the year.

The Steven Schroeder Award was created by the nonprofit group Costs of Care, which seeks to help doctors and patients choose medical care with lower out-of-pocket costs, and The Leapfrog Group to recognize a hospital or health system CEO who has “demonstrated courageous and ethical leadership addressing the twin issues of affordability and quality of health care in their community.”

“Inova is one of the only systems in the country that consistently earns straight As across all its hospitals for patient safety. That means Dr. Jones leads with the highest standards for excellence and makes patients the priority,” The Leapfrog Group President and CEO Leah Binder stated.

Elite Brow Studio Opens in Leesburg

Mayor Kelly Burk and members of the Town Council on Dec. 3 helped welcome the Elite Brow Studio to the Leesburg business community.

The studio provides eyebrow threading, body waxing, and tinting services. Reservations are recommended for body waxing, but threading and tinting services are provided on a walk-in basis.

It is located at 956-B Edwards Ferry Road, NE, at the Shenandoah

Square shopping center.

Learn more at elitebrowstudio.com.

StoneSprings Among U.S. News Best Hospitals for Maternity Care

StoneSprings Hospital Center has been named among the best hospitals for maternity care in 2022-2023 by U.S. News & World Report, one of only 12 hospitals in Virginia to earn the “High Performing” designation.

U.S. News evaluated nearly 650 hospitals, with fewer than 300 receiving the designation, the highest the publication offers hospitals for maternity care.

This year’s assessments factored in new measures, including episiotomy rates, vaginal birth after cesarean or VBAC rates, and whether each hospital met new federal criteria for “birthing-friendly” practices. This year U.S. News methodology also rewarded hospitals that tracked and reported patient outcomes by race and ethnicity.

“Identifying racial disparities in maternity care is a vital step toward achieving health equity,” Seo stated. “The new measures provide expectant parents with many important data points, such as whether hospitals implemented patient safety practices, to assist them in making a decision about where to receive maternity care.” n

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“Excellence

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Towns

New Town Leaders Take the Reins

Fraser Steps Aside for New Leadership

Purcellville Mayor-elect Stanley Milan and council members-elect Mary Bennett, Carol Luke and Erin Rayner took their oaths of office at a swearing in ceremony Monday night.

Chief Deputy Clerk of the Circuit Court Laura Boudreaux administered the oaths.

Mayor Kwasi Fraser, whose term ends Dec. 31, ceremoniously passed the gavel to Milan noting that he “only had to use it twice” during his eight years in office.

Milan shared how much he appreciated Fraser’s service to the town through his four terms.

Milan said he was looking forward to meeting the needs of the residents and staff to get what the town needs done.

Bennett, Luke and Rayner also expressed gratitude for the support of their families and the residents who voted for them.

Their terms will begin Jan. 1. n

Hamilton

Mayor

and Council Members Take Oaths

Hamilton mayor-elect Kenneth Wine and council members Rebecca Jones, Catherine Salter, and Craig Green took their oaths of office at a swearing in ceremony Tuesday night.

Clerk of the Circuit Court Gary Clemoens administered the oath of office to Wine, Jones, and Salter in person and to Green virtually.

Their new terms will begin on Jan 1. n

AROUND towns

HAMILTON Council Looks to Fill Vacant Seat

Mayor Kenneth C. Wine was sworn into office Tuesday, creating a vacancy on the Town Council.

The town will be asking for letters of interest in the position. Eligibility requirements to become a council member include having lived in Virginia for a year, living within the town’s corporate limits, and being a registered voter.

While there is no specific process the town must follow to appoint the new council member, in the past they have sent out an announcement asking for interest, reviewed résumés, and conducted closed session interviews before appointing a candidate.

After the town receives Wine’s official letter of resignation from his seat on the council, it will begin the process of filling the vacancy.

LOVETTSVILLE Menorah Lighting Planned Monday

Lovettsville will hold a menorah lighting Monday, Dec. 19 at 5:30 p.m. to observe Hannukah.

While Hannukah officially begins Sunday, Dec. 18, the town decided to move

AROUND TOWNS continues on page 25

Purcellville Continues Holiday Tradition

Residents gathered in downtown Purcellville on Saturday for the town’s annual Christmas Parade.

The parade, which started and ended at Blue Ridge Middle School, featured floats from town businesses, schools, the Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad, political

candidates, nonprofits, the Sheriff’s Office and, of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus. Participants tossed candy and T-shirts to children and adults alike. Mayor-elect Stanley Milan and Council member Erin Rayner also took part in the festivities by riding a float. n

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

Clerk of the Circuit Court Gary Clemens, Mayor Kenneth Wine, and council members Rebecca Jones and Catherine Salter pose during Tuesday night’s swearing in ceremony.

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now Mayor-elect Stanley Milan takes his oath of office to be Purcellville’s next mayor at a ceremony Dec. 12, 2022.

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now Dancers perform a dance demonstration in the Purcellville Christmas Parade.

Hanna Pampaloni/Loudoun Now

Santa and Mrs. Claus wave to onlookers at the Purcellville Christmas Parade Dec. 10.

AROUND towns

the lighting to Monday because of other Hannukah events happening in the area.

MIDDLEBURG

Council Approves New ShortTerm Rental Rules

After more than a year of deliberations by the Planning Commission, the Town Council last week unanimously approved new regulations governing short-term rentals.

The town has had rules for “limited residential lodgings” on its books since 2016, but so far only one property owner has filed for the required town permit and that was only this fall. With the growing popularity of the short-term rental market driven by companies like Airbnb and VRBO, town leaders acknowledge far more properties are being rented out or will be.

The council debated several approaches, including tailoring the rules based on the character of different neighborhoods in town. The final version is a town-wide policy that requires the rentals to be sin-

gle-family homes on lots at least 10,000 square feet in size, with a minimum separation of 25 feet from any neighboring dwelling, The ordinance requires at least a two-night stay and also limits rentals to 180 nights per year. Each rental property must have a formal property management plan on file with the town.

The ordinance prohibits accessory dwellings from being used for short-term rentals.

Health Center Grants Awarded

The Health Center Advisory Board has awarded $50,500 in donations to nine nonprofits serving the town.

The grants were approved by the Town Council last week.

Seven Loaves Services received the largest donation, $10,000. Middleburg FISH was awarded $8,000. The Windy Hill Family Services Program was given $7,500. A Place to Be was awarded $6,000. The Cherry Blossom Breast Cancer Fund and Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter each received $5,000. American Legion Post 295, Backpack Buddies, and the Middleburg Museum Foundation each received $3,000.

The town is in the process of spinning off the Health Center Fund into an independent nonprofit. n for

Designed to Serve Your Charitable Vision

Obituaries

Garry Alan Preble, 76, passed away at home in DelRay Beach, Florida. He is survived by his devoted wife of 54 years Maria Constanza Larguia, children: Mathias,of Redmond, Washington; Zacharia, Jorge and Maria Constanza of DelRey, Florida, Gala and Laura of Buenos Aires, Argentina and Lucas of Lander, Wyoming; 14 grandchildren, nephew Reed Preble, sister Marilyn Preble Rust and nephews: Nathan, Edward and Thomas Watson of Leesburg, Virginia. He was preceded in death by his brother Doctor Merle Preble, Jr., and his parents: Louise Preble and Colonel Merle Preble of Leesburg, Virginia.

A graduate of Loudoun County High School, he attended the University of Pennsylvania. Garry held Batchelor’s Degree and Masters Degree in Engineering: Urban and Civil from the from the University of Pennsylvania. As a graduate student in the late 1960’s he worked with one of the few commercially available mainframe computers. Garry’s knowledge of cutting edge Information Technology, combined with his fluency in Spanish, Portuguese and English made him a trusted and sought after pioneer of a burgeoning industry in South America. During the period known as the Brazilian Economic Miracle doors were opened to American companies who thrived in a favorable economic climate. He consulted at the highest level for important American companies promoting their success in the Brazilian economy.

A devoted husband and father, he savored a life of manual work and mental labor. He gathered admirers from all walks of life – who looked to him for advice, camaraderie, and joy. A man of deep faith and prayer, he trusted in God with a boldness that strengthened every endeavor.

Nancy Rakes Moorcones, 89, Hamilton, VA, died December 3rd at her home of 63 years in Hamilton. Nancy was born May 21st, 1933, in Roanoke, VA, the daughter of the late Edd Simmons Rakes and Catherine Toms Rakes. Growing up most of her life in Leesburg, VA, she attended Leesburg High. After graduating in 1951, Nancy enrolled at Mary Washington College. In 1953 she married the late Anthony “Tony” Moorcones, Jr. She was a devoted mother to her five children; a member of Harmony United Methodist Church and the Miriam Gruber Circle, and a loving Nana to her twelve grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She is survived by her children Anthony Peter (Beth) of Ocean Isle, NC, Michael Edd (Edie) of Newport News, Lisa Marie Bibb (Barry) of Aldie, Nancy Elizabeth Ashworth (John) of Purcellville and David Patrick (Kathleen) of Bluemont; twelve grandchildren, Matthew Moorcones (Tracy), Catherine Moorcones Layman (Stephen), Andrew Moorcones, Emily Ashworth Rash (Chris), Amy Moorcones Rice (Alex), Morgan Bibb Dwyer (Jackie), Carter Bibb, Kyle Moorcones, Sarah Ashworth, Claire Ashworth, Samantha Moorcones and Lillian Moorcones; four great-grandchildren, Olsen Layman, Benson Layman, Banks Moorcones and Charlotte Rash. Services were held at 11:00am on Dec. 10th at Harmony United Methodist Church, Hamilton, VA. Interment followed in Friends Cemetery, Lincoln. Memorial contributions may be made to Harmony United Methodist Church.

To place an obituary, contact Susan Styer at 703-770-9723 or email sstyer@loudounnow.com

Garry Alan Preble

July 27, 1946 - October 25, 2022

Nancy Rakes Moorcones

LoCo Living

Griswold Factor’

Leesburg Dad Steps Up as Loudoun’s New Christmas Light King

BY JAN MERCKER jmercker@loudounnow.com

22,000 industrial grade Christmas lights. 25,000 steps in a single day over Thanksgiving weekend. And a year’s worth of planning, designing, building, and illuminating.

That’s what goes into creating one of Loudoun’s top neighborhood holiday light shows. And for Kurt Hassler, the creative and tech mastermind behind Woodlea Hills Lights, it’s a labor of love.

For the past several weeks, Hassler’s home in the Woodlea Hills neighborhood south of Leesburg has drawn lines of visitors to its 30-minute music and light extravaganza, complete with singing Christmas trees, color-changing pixel displays and thousands of twinkling lights set to carefully chosen holiday songs.

For Hassler, it’s a year-round passion that comes to fruition at Christmas. Throughout the year, he works on building props, adding lights, landscaping and planning music and light coordination.

“I joke with people that it’s a yearround hobby. This is where everything we’ve done actually shows up in lights, and people can see what we’ve been doing the rest of the year,” Hassler said.

Hassler got his show rolling in 2014 after checking out the Halloween show at the nationally famous Edwards Landing

Lights house across town.

“I saw Edwards Landing Lights on the national news. Down in the corner it said Leesburg, Virginia. I was like, I’ve got to go find this guy,” he said.

Edwards Landing light guru Brandon Bullis has been a mentor and inspiration for Hassler.

With Bullis taking a year off in 2022, he’s encouraging fans to check out Hassler’s show. And Hassler is stepping up to the plate big time.

Hassler started with a modest 167-strand blue light show with a single controller set to “Let It Go,” and he still incorporates that initial sequence in the rotation. But the show has grown up around it, adding thousands of lights each year. Hassler’s display now features 22,000 lights with plans to keep expanding.

“I’m going for what I call the Griswold factor. I’m shooting for 25,000 lights,”

WOODLEA LIGHTS continues on page 28

THINGS to do

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS

Chefscape Ugly Sweater Party

Friday, Dec. 16, 6 p.m.

Chefscape, 1602 Village Market Blvd. # 115, Leesburg

Details: chefscapekitchen.com

Put on your ugly holiday sweater and enjoy great food, cocktails, and live music.

Eric Byrd Trio: A Charlie Brown Christmas Friday, Dec. 16, 7-8:30 p.m.

Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane, Purcellville

Details: franklinparkartscenter.org

The Eric Byrd trio performs the music from the classic Vince Guaraldi soundtrack to the beloved Christmas classic. Tickets are $20, $10 for children 12 and under.

LVFC Breakfast with Santa and Market Saturday, Dec. 17, 7-11 a.m.

Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company, 215 Loudoun St. SW, Leesburg

Details: facebook.com/leesburgfire

Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company hosts breakfast with Santa and a market featuring local vendors. Registration for photos is full, but walk-ins will be accepted on a limited basis.

Ugly Sweater Jubilee at Dirt Farm Saturday, Dec. 17, 11 a.m.

Dirt Farm Brewing, 18701 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont Details: dirtfarmbrewing.com

Sport your holiday worst and get $5 pints all day. Specialty holiday beverages include spiked hot apple cider and a hard seltzer holiday cocktail.

Market Under the Mill Saturday, Dec. 17, 2-6 p.m.

Crooked Run, 205 Harrison St. SE, Leesburg Details: crookedrunbrewing.com

Check out local vendors while sipping craft beers in a festive setting.

Firefly Cellars Christmas in the Cabin Saturday, Dec. 17, 2-8 p.m.

Firefly Cellars, 40325 Charles Town Pike, Hamilton Details: fireflycellars.com

Visit with Santa in the cozy cabin. Enjoy hot chocolate and treats for the children, adult beverages, face painting and festive music. Tickets are $28 in advance.

Blend Coffee Bar German Christmas Market

Saturday, Dec. 17, 4-9 p.m.

Blend Coffee Bar, 43170 Southern Walk Plaza, Ashburn

Details: blendcoffeebar.com

Shop for treasures from 20 local vendors while sipping gluhwein, sampling sweets and listening to festive carolers.

Lost Barrel Brewing Holiday Market

Sunday, Dec. 18, 11 a.m.

Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg Details: lostbarrel.com

Knock out your last-minute shopping with treasures from local vendors in a relaxed atmosphere.

‘The

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Kurt Hassler is the mastermind behind a 22,000-Christmas light extravaganza set to music in his front yard, with cars lining up every night to watch the show.

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Kurt Hassler has transformed his yard into an animated, musical wonderland with a display of thousands of lights synced to music played on a low-power FM transmitter.

THE ENCORE CHORALE OF ASHBURN

Friday, Dec. 16, 3-5 p.m.

Ashburn Senior Center encorecreativity.org

THINGS to do

continued from page 26

Cana Vineyards Crafts and Cheer Market

Sunday, Dec. 18, noon-6 p.m.

Cana Vineyards, 38600 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg

Details: canavineyards.com

Shop for items from local crafters while enjoying mulled wine, dessert pairings, live music and more.

One Loudoun Grand Menorah Lighting Sunday, Dec. 18, 4:30 p.m.

One Loudoun, 20626 Easthampton Plaza, Ashburn Details: jewishloudoun.com

Celebrate with doughnuts, latkes, a gelt drop from a fire engine and a performance from the African High Flyers.

LOCO LIVE

Live Music: Cary Wimbish Friday, Dec. 16, 5 p.m.

Spanky’s Shenanigans, 538 E. Market St., Leesburg Details: spankyspub.com

Richmond-based Wimbish returns to Spanky’s with traditional country, bluegrass, classic rock, and blues songs along with crowd-pleasing originals.

Live Music: Juliet Lloyd Trio Friday, Dec. 16, 5:30 p.m.

Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg Details: lostbarrel.com

Singer/songwriter/pianist Juliet Lloyd returns to Lost Barrel with her signature pop, rock and classic soul favorites.

Live Music; Gary Smallwood Friday, Dec. 16, 6 p.m.

Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville

Details: flyingacefarm.com

TGIF with Gary Smallwood’s locally famous classic rock, country rock and blues.

Live Music: The Crown Jewels Friday, Dec. 16, 6 p.m.

BEST BETS

Saturday, Dec. 17, 6:30p.m.

MacDowells Brew Kitchen macsbeach.com

Old Ox Brewery, 44652 Guilford Drive, Ashburn Details: oldoxbrewery.com

Get festive with a fun rock show from the Crown Jewels.

Old 690 Young Musicians Showcase Friday, Dec 16, 6 p.m.

Old 690 Brewing Company, 15670 Ashbury Church Road, Hillsboro Details: old690.com

This month’s Young Musicians Showcase features Brigit Cook and other talented local youth.

Live Music: Better Off Dead

Friday, Dec. 16, 8 p.m.

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg  Details: tallyhotheater.com

It’s a holiday jam with a top Grateful Dead/Jerry Garcia cover band. Tickets are $15, $35 for VIP seats.

Live Music: Hilary Veltri

Saturday, Dec. 17, 1 p.m.

50 West Vineyards, 39060 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg

Details: facebook.com/50westvineyards

Veltri’s repertoire of covers and originals spans generations and genres from Bob Dylan to Beyonce.

Live Music: Melissa Quinn Fox

Saturday, Dec. 17, 2 p.m.

Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro

Details: breauxvineyards.com

Wammie winner Melissa Quinn Fox brings her signature high-energy blend of rock and country to Breaux.

Live Music: The Night Chasers

Saturday, Dec. 17, 2 p.m.

Casanel Vineyards, 17956 Canby Road, Leesburg

Details: casanelvineyards.com

Unwind with smooth tunes from this jazz and blues combo.

Live Music: Chris Bowen

Saturday, Dec. 17, 3 p.m.

Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville

Details: flyingacefarm.com

Enjoy great tunes from Western Loudoun singer/ songwriter and one-man band Chris Bowen.

Live Music: Virginia Rum Runners

Saturday, Dec. 17, 5 p.m.

THE AMISH OUTLAWS

Saturday, Dec. 17, 7 p.m. (doors)

Tally Ho Theater tallyhotheater.com

Live Music: Robert Mabe Trio

Saturday, Dec. 17, 5:30 p.m.

Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, 42245 Hopwoods Lane, Lucketts

Details: vanishbeer.com

With edgy tunes spanning 50 years of outlaw country, the Rum Runners serve up Waylon Jennings, Steve Earle, Dwight Yoakam and other favorites.

Lost Barrel Brewing, 36138 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg

Details: lostbarrel.com

Mabe is a stellar banjo player and singer/songwriter

THINGS TO DO continues on page 28

STEVE GEORGE AND FRIENDS

Woodlea lights

Hassler said.

For Hassler, putting together the light show taps into both his techie and creative sides. Hassler, who has a computer science degree and an engineering background, programs the show using the Light-O-Rama software. He has set up a director on the patio that sends the commands via wires and cables to the lights and props and plays the music through an FM transmitter so visitors can tune in in their cars.

Over the past eight years, Hassler has built a collection of thousands of commercial-grade lights.

“They’re meant to be out in the elements. They’re made to be abused by light shows,” he said.

Hassler is also a musician and music lover, and planning the songs for the 30-minute show and coordinating the lighting is the most rewarding part of the process.

“I pick a song and kind of visualize in my head what I would want it to be visually and start programming it,” he said.

For example, the lighting show’s penultimate song, Lindsey Stirling’s “Carol of the Bells,” starts out in the shrubs near the house and builds from there.

“The whole thing builds up and it also moves out from the house, so it adds depth,” he said.

Hassler was a high school marching band trombonist and Loudoun County High School band dad (his two children are now in college) who still volunteers with school’s band program. Music and lighting have long been a passion.

“When I was younger and used to go to concerts, obviously you’re going to listen to the music, but I was always watching the lights,” he said.

The 30-minute Woodlea Hills show kicks off with the Griswold “Hallelujah’’ opener and moves from Mariah Carey to Burl Ives and other favorites, wrapping up with Panic at the Disco’s “The Greatest Show.”

And while putting the show together takes plenty of time and money, the hit to Hassler’s electricity bill is minimal thanks to LED technology.

“It’s pennies a night to run this,” he said.

Hassler said he’s also in the perfect spot for the show—on a large lot on a culde-sac with room for visitors to park and watch. He also has just the right house to serve as a canvas for his masterpiece.

“A big white house is perfect for reflecting the lights,” he said.

Hassler said he started out as a Halloween guy but has become a Christmas convert when it comes to his display.

“Halloween was always the bigger one for me. When I saw Brandon’s [Bullis] Halloween show across town, I was all in. … But I was kind of limited with what I could do,” he said. “Pretty quickly, I decided I was more in favor of Christmas because I can do so much more.”

Hassler still does a popular Halloween display, but it’s more limited in size and scope.

“It’s not nearly as many lights as this but it’s still a good show,” he said.

And the Christmas show is a big community builder. The Woodlea Manor and Woodlea Hills neighborhoods are extra festive, and beautifully lit yards appear to be a thing in the neighborhood.

For Hassler, the season means kids shouting lyrics to favorite songs, families snacking on popcorn in the back of a pickup truck and a carload of moms on a girls’ night. Even the grumpiest grow-ups crack a smile once the show gets going.

“I’ll go out and talk to people. Once they realize it’s our house, they light up like little kids,” Hassler said. “I find that all really cool.” n

Woodlea Hills Lights is located at 607 Hillview Place SW in Leesburg and runs nightly from 5 to 10 p.m. For more information and to check out past years’ videos, go to facebook.com/woodleahillslights and check out the YouTube channel at woodleahillslights.com.

THINGS to do

continued from page 27

from the hills of North Carolina. His unique style covers a wide range of music from bluegrass to jazz, Irish and roots tunes.

Live Music: Rowdy Ace Four with Delta Spur Trio Saturday, Dec. 17, 6 p.m.

Harvest Gap Brewery, 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro

Details: harvestgap.com It’s a Saturday night honky tonk as two local favorites join forces for an evening of great country tunes.

Live Music: Steve George and Friends Saturday, Dec. 17, 6:30 p.m.

MacDowell Brew Kitchen, 202 South St. SE, Leesburg Details: macsbeach.com Kick back with classic rock, country, blues and beyond from a local favorite.

Loudoun’s Best Holiday Light Displays

When it comes to holiday light displays, Woodlea Hills Lights are a local favorite. But there are plenty of stellar displays to be found, from Chantilly to Lovettsville. Holiday light aficionado Bill Incatasciato, founder of the Loudoun Christmas Lights website and Facebook page, adds new favorites to his page each week. Incatasciato keeps a running list of top-notch displays that never disappoint. Some of his favorites include:

Top Light Shows

• Christophy Christmas Lights 626 Marshall Drive NE Leesburg 21260 Rosetta Place Ashburn

Top Large Displays

• 42580 Blue Copper Way Ashburn

• 13799 Necklace Court Chantilly

• 42460 Flemming Drive Chantilly

• 704 Seaton Court SE Leesburg

• 41033 Blue Larkspur Court Stone Ridge

• Holtz Family Lights 44282 Misty Creek Place Ashburn 38263 Nixon Road Purcellville

• Christmas House at Red Rocks 18399 Rim Rock Circle Leesburg

• 8 Daniel Keys Lane Lovettsville

• 40917 Foxtail Fields Drive Aldie

My Christmas Toy House in Millwood Square 21244 Millwood Square Sterling

For more of Bill Incatasciato’s favorites, to add a display to the list and to get details, descriptions, and special instructions from homeowners, go to loudounchristmaslights.com.

Live Music: Amish Outlaws

Saturday, Dec. 17, 8 p.m.

Tally Ho Theater, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg  Details: tallyhotheater.com

The exuberant Amish Outlaws return to the Tally Ho with fun tunes ranging from Snoop Dogg to Johnny Cash. Tickets are $20.

Live Music: Todd Brooks and Pour Decisions

Saturday, Dec. 17, 8 p.m.

The Branch, 49 Catoctin Circle SE, Leesburg Details: bowlthebranch.com

Brooks and company serve up a heavy helping of classic rock along with favorites from the 80s, 90s and 2000s.

Live Music: Rowdy Acres

Saturday, Dec. 17, 8 p.m.

Monk’s BBQ, 251 N. 21st St., Purcellville Details: monksq.com

This raucous bluegrass, country rock band plays traditional bluegrass, newgrass, country, classic rock and southern rock–both covers and originals.

Loudoun Jazz Jam

Sunday, Dec. 18, 1 p.m.

Chefscape, 1602 Village Market Blvd. # 115, Leesburg

Details: chefscapekitchen.com

Join the Loudoun Jazz Society every third Sunday for a fun jazz jam.

Live Music: Laura Cashman Sunday, Dec. 18, 1 p.m.

50 West Vineyards, 39060 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg Details: facebook.com/50westvineyards

Cashman is a local favorite who plays a wide range of genres. Hits from the 70s and 80s are sure to be part of her playlist, but her favorite decade is the 90s.

Live Music: Freddie Long Saturday, Dec. 18, 2 p.m.

Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery, 40950 Flying Ace Lane, Lovettsville Details: flyingacefarm.com

Long is part introspective singer/songwriter, part bluesy classic rocker for a perfect brewery afternoon vibe.

Legal Notices

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ041604-06-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Diana Gissel Medina Lainez

Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v.

Jose Medina, Putative Father

The object of this suit is to hold a hearing on placement in a qualified residential treatment program pursuant to Virginia Code § 16.1281(E) for Diana Gissel Medina Lainez.

It is ORDERED that the defendant Jose Medina, putative father, appear at the abovenamed Court and protect his or her interests on or before January 10, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. 12/15, 12/22, 12/29 & 1/05/23

VIRGINIA:

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF LOUDOUN

PAYAM NIKOUEIH Complainant, V. HELLIA BEHROUZ Defendant.

Civil Case No. _________

AFFIDAVIT FOR SERVICE BY PUBLICATION

COMES NOW the Complainant, Payam Nikoueih, and being duly sworn, upon oath deposes and states that to the best of Complainant's knowledge, information and

1. The last known place of abode of the above named Defendant, Heilia Behrouz is 8421 Broad Street, Tysons, Virginia 22102 where Complainant, and Defendant lived; and

2. The Defendant is not a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, nor has he been such within the past thirty (30) days, nor is he a member of the United States Public Health Service; and

3. The Complainant sent multiple correspondences to find the whereabouts of the Defendant but never received a response. The complainant has attempted to contact the Defendant through legitimate and diligent efforts but has been unsuccessful.

4. The Defendant in the above case is believed to be a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

12/08, 12/15, 12/22 & 12/29/22

V I R G I N I A :

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE COUNTY OF LOUDOUN

IN RE: ESTATE OF RAYMOND CASE, JR., DECEASED ) )

Probate File No. 16228

SHOW CAUSE ORDER

It appearing that a report of the accounts of Matthew L. Clark, Administrator d.b.n. of the Estate of Raymond Case, Jr., deceased, and of the debts and demands against the Decedent's Estate have been filed in the Clerk's Office, and that six months have elapsed since the qualification, of Matthew L. Clark, Administrator d.b.n. of the Estate of Raymond Case, Jr.;

IT IS ORDERED that the creditors of, and all others interested in, the Estate do show cause, if any they can, at 9:00 a.m. on the 6th day of January, before this Court at its courtroom at 18 E. Market Street, 3rd floor, Leesburg, Virginia 20178, against the payment and delivery of the Estate of Raymond Case, Jr., deceased, to the distributees with or without refunding bonds as the Court prescribes. 12/15 & 12/22/22

A message to elderly and disabled Loudoun County residents from

Robert S. Wertz, Jr. Commissioner of the Revenue

Residents 65 and older or totally and permanently disabled who wish to apply for 2022 Real Property Tax Relief for the first time must submit an application to my office by the January 3, 2023 filing deadline.

Please visit our website or contact my office for information or filing assistance.

Leesburg Office

1 Harrison Street SE First Floor

Sterling Office

*New Location as of November 14th* 46000 Center Oak Plaza First Floor

Internet: www.loudoun.gov/taxrelief

Hours: 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, M - F

Phone: 703-737-8557

Email: taxrelief@loudoun.gov

Mailing Address: PO Box 8000, MSC 32 Leesburg, VA 20177-9804

12/1, 12/8, 12/15, 12/22 & 12/29/22

Loudoun County Department of Housing & Community Development Seeks Proposals from Rental Property Owners for Project-Based Vouchers

The Loudoun County Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD) is accepting proposals from December 8, 2022, through January 23, 2023, from the owners of rental properties in Loudoun County to contract with the County for Project-Based Vouchers (PBV).

DHCD is responsible for determining the amount of budget authority that is available for a project and ensuring that the amount of assistance that is attached to units is within the amounts available under the Annual Contributions Contract (ACC) [24 CFR 983.6]. DHCD will award no more than 10 units per contract and no more than 20 percent of its budget authority to rental property-owners for project-based assistance. If approved, PBV assistance will be attached to newly constructed and/or rehabilitated rental housing [24 CFR 983.52].

PBV will be awarded to the owners of affordable rental housing which provide additional special housing needs such as fully accessible, 504 compliant housing units, and/or studio and one-bedroom units, as well as others based on an owner’s experience and capability to manage, build, or rehabilitate housing as identified in the proposal. DHCD reserves the right to not award PBV. Proposals will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. The request for proposals, proposal submission requirements, and rating/ ranking procedures are posted at www.loudoun.gov/pbv

For more information about the proposal review process and application procedures, visit www.loudoun.gov/pbv or contact Tandi Butler at (703) 771-5204 or tandi.butler@loudoun.gov

12/8, 12/15 & 12/22/22

Public Notice – Environmental Permit

PURPOSE OF NOTICE: To seek public comment on a draft permit from the Department of Environmental Quality that will allow the release of treated wastewater into a water body in Loudoun County, Virginia.

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD: December 8, 2022, to January 9, 2023

PERMIT NAME: Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit – Wastewater issued by DEQ pursuant to applicable water laws and regulations.

APPLICANT NAME, ADDRESS AND PERMIT NUMBER: Town of Middleburg, PO Box 187, Middleburg, VA 20118. VA0024775

NAME AND ADDRESS OF FACILITY: Middleburg Wastewater Treatment Plant, 500 East Washington St, Middleburg, VA 20118

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Town of Middleburg has applied for a reissuance of a permit for the public Middleburg Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). The applicant proposes to release treated sewage wastewaters from residential and commercial areas at a rate of 0.25 million gallons per day into a water body. Sludge from the treatment process will be hauled to an approved facility for further treatment. The facility proposes to release the treated sewage wastewaters in Wancopin Creek in Loudoun County in the Potomac River watershed. A watershed is the land area drained by a river and its incoming streams. The permit will limit the following pollutants to amounts that protect water quality: bacteria, nutrients, organic matter, and physical & chemical properties. The permit includes monitoring for metals.

This facility is subject to the requirements of 9VAC25-820 and has registered for coverage under the General VPDES Watershed Permit Regulation for Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorus Discharges and Nutrient Trading in the Chesapeake Watershed in Virginia.

HOW TO COMMENT AND/OR REQUEST A PUBLIC HEARING: DEQ accepts comments and requests for public hearing by hand-delivery, e-mail or postal mail. All comments and requests must be in writing and be received by DEQ during the comment period. DEQ must receive hand-delivery and postal mail by close of business and email and fax comments by 11:59 p.m. on the last day of the comment period. Submittals must include the names, mailing addresses and telephone numbers of the commenter/requester and of all persons represented by the commenter/requester. A request for public hearing must also include: 1) The reason why a public hearing is requested. 2) A brief, informal statement regarding the nature and extent of the interest of the requester or of those represented by the requester, including how and to what extent such interest would be directly and adversely affected by the permit. 3) Specific references, where possible, to terms and conditions of the permit with suggested revisions. A public hearing may be held, including another comment period, if public response is significant, based on individual requests for a public hearing, and there are substantial, disputed issues relevant to the permit.

CONTACT FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS, DOCUMENT REQUESTS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The public may review the draft permit and application at the DEQ-Northern Regional Office by appointment, or may request electronic copies of the draft permit and fact sheet.

Name: Alison Thompson

Address: DEQ-Northern Regional Office, 13901 Crown Court, Woodbridge, VA 22193 Phone: (571) 866-6083 Fax: (804) 698-4178 E-mail: Alison.Thompson@deq.virginia.gov

ARPA GRANT FUNDING APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that Virginia Electric and Power Company (VMRC #2022-2306) is requesting a permit from Virginia Marine Resources Commission to install one (1) aerial cable to existing utility poles across Piney Run at two (2) locations adjacent to Harpers Ferry Road in Loudoun County. You may provide comments on this application (VMRC #2022-2306) at https://webapps.mrc.virginia.gov/public/habitat/comments/. We will accept comments by the USPS provided they are received within 15 days of this notice to: Marine Resources Commission, Habitat Management Division, 380 Fenwick Road, Bldg 96, Hampton, VA 23651.

Community Town Hall on Renaming Frances Hazel Reid Elementary School

The Loudoun County School Board is considering changing some school names that do not reflect the School Board's values of inclusion and diversity and is seeking public comment. The first two school names to be considered are Mercer Middle School and Frances Hazel Reid Elementary School.

A Community Town Hall will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 15, 2022, specifically on Frances Hazel Reid Elementary School’s name. The public meeting will be held in the auditorium of Smart’s Mill Middle School (850 North King Street, Leesburg).

Information on the school name review is provided on the Loudoun County Public Schools webpage (https://www.lcps.org/Page/247047).

Public Notice

The Town of Leesburg Boards and Commissions Vacancies

The Town of Leesburg is soliciting applications for multiple Board and Commission vacancies. Citizens interested in serving on a board or commission can find additional information, membership requirements, or may apply via the Town’s web site at www.leesburgva.gov/government/boards-and-commissions. Applications will be kept on file for one year. Any questions can be sent to the Clerk of Council via email at eboeing@leesburgva.gov

12/15/22

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Case No.: JJ045188-07-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Ashli Martinez-Bonilla

Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v.

Maynor Martinez Acosta, putative father, and Unknown Father

The object of this suit is to hold a foster care review hearing and review of foster care plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282 and 16.1-281 for Ashli Martinez Bonilla.

It is ORDERED that the defendant Maynor Martinez Acosta, putative father, and Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before January 4, 2023 at 3:00 p.m.

11/24, 12/1, 12/8 & 12/15/22

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA VA. CODE § 8.01-316 Case No.: JJ046150-03-00

Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Marjorie Cruz

Loudoun County Department of Family Services /v.

Endenilson Alavarado, putative father & Unknown Father

The object of this suit is to hold a foster care review hearing and review of foster care plan pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 16.1-282 and 16.1-281 for Marjorie Cruz.

It is ORDERED that the defendant Endenilson Alavarado, putative father, and Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or January 10, 2023 at 2:00 p.m.

11/24, 12/1, 12/8 & 12/15/22

NOTICE OF IMPOUNDMENT OF ABANDONED VEHICLES

This notice is to inform the owner and any person having a security interest in their right to reclaim the motor vehicle herein described within 15 days after the date of storage charges resulting from placing the vehicle in custody, and the failure of the owner or persons having security interests to exercise their right to reclaim the vehicle within the time provided shall be deemed a waiver by the owner, and all persons having security interests of all right, title and interest in the vehicle, and consent to the sale of the abandoned motor vehicle at a public auction.

This notice shall also advise the owner of record of his or her right to contest the determination by the Sheriff that the motor vehicle was “abandoned,” as provided in Chapter 630.08 of the Loudoun County Ordinance, by requesting a hearing before the County Administrator in writing. Such written request for a hearing must be made within 15 days of the notice.

YR. MAKE MODEL VIN

2015 HONDA ACCORD

2010 TOYOTA PRIUS

2019 NISSAN SENTRA

2000 HONDA ACCORD

1HGCR3F8VF025073

JTDKN3DU7A0092251

3N1AB7AP3KY413688

1HGCG6690YA122544

2002 FORD EXPEDITION 1FMPU16L82LA91378

1994 NISSAN SENTRA 1N4EB31F3RC740096

STORAGE PHONE#

LCSO IMPOUND LOT 571-367-8400

LCSO IMPOUND LOT 571-367-8400

LCSO IMPOUND LOT 571-367-8400

LCSO IMPOUND LOT 571-367-8400

LCSO IMPOUND LOT 571-367-8400

LCSO IMPOUND LOT 571-367-8400

12/8 & 12/15/22

Citizens may attend the December 15 public meeting and/or submit comments via LCPSPLAN@LCPS.ORG.

Those who need translation/interpretation assistance or a reasonable accommodation for any disability to participate meaningfully at the December 15 Community Town Hall should contact the Division of Planning & GIS Services at 571-252-1050 at least three (3) business days prior to the meeting.

12/8 & 12/15/22

SEPTIC SYSTEM MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR SERVICES, IFB No. 571784 until prior to 4:00 p.m., local “Atomic Time”, January 23, 2023.

Solicitation forms may be obtained 24 hours a day by visiting our web site at www.loudoun.gov/procurement. If you do not have access to the Internet, call (703) 777-0403, M - F, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

WHEN CALLING, PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU NEED ANY REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR ANY TYPE OF DISABILITY IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCUREMENT.

Upgrade your Resource Directory advertisement with an “Enhanced Listing” online! Call Susan today for details and incentives! 703-770-9723

Opinion

Culture Change

The School Board on Tuesday launched a review of a series of school division policies with the goal of addressing criticisms laid out in last week’s special grand jury report.

In typical bureaucratic fashion, these changes are likely to take weeks or months to enact as the wordsmithing is put through the ringer of committee reviews and public comment sessions. While those changes may be necessary, it won’t be those policies that protect students in the schools’ hallways and bathrooms.

There are a few important things we have not yet heard from school leaders.

First would be clear instructions to the schoolbased staff that concerns about potentially dangerous behavior of any student should be immediately reported, along with clear direction that every case will be given serious review.

Second would be that administrators have begun a review of student records to identify those

with patterns of violent behavior to be subject to more intense monitoring or to reassess their ability to interact safely among the general school population.

If more resources are needed to implement those kinds of protections, that’s an investment Loudoun’s tax-weary residents would likely support.

While a great deal of attention has been paid to the ways administrators tried to control the narrative and downplay the assaults in the public eye, the most disturbing finding in the report is that the attacks could have been prevented. At different points in these cases, the warnings of school-based staff members were ignored, or the staff members weren’t provided critical information about the students walking in their corridors.

In that context, the school division doesn’t need to start with a policy change; it needs a culture change. n

LETTERS to the Editor

No Accountability

Editor:

How is it that Ziegler can be red (immediately) (without cause) and be paid his full salary, plus $28,000 raise (given a er incident occurred) with annual vehicle allowances, health bene ts, and retirement bene ts?

A resident was arrested for standing up for his right to know what happened to his child, a crime was committed against her and basically the Ziegler and the School Board tried to cover up this information.  Why is there no accountability?

— Ronald M Hawes, Lovettsville

My Library

Editor:

I love the Lovettsville Library for so many reasons. e outstanding sta could teach the world the meaning of the word “service.”

I remember a man stopped by who was having trouble understanding income tax matters and was very grateful when a librarian directed him to useful information services. Many librarians would have considered income taxes to be way beyond a library’s mission, but my library generously gives community service, which makes it a very unique and a very special library.

I don’t own a computer, but write historical novels and the library has researched a myriad number of topics, providing me with invaluable bibliographies to make my stories accurate and real. When I enter the library, it feels like home because I’m surrounded by people anxious and able to help me reach my goals. ey have generously given of their time to gather useful information services on important topics like breast cancer and health insurance.

I have seen patrons of the library

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR continues on page 33

Norman K. Styer, Publisher and Editor - nstyer@loudounnow.com

EDITORIAL

Published by Amendment One Loudoun, LLC

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Renss Greene, Deputy Editor rgreene@loudounnow.com

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THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:

Loudoun Now is mailed weekly to homes in Leesburg, western Loudoun and Ashburn, and distributed for pickup throughout the county. Online, Loudoun Now provides daily community news coverage to an audience of more than 100,000 unique monthly visitors.

LAST

Do you support the termination of the schools superintendent following the grand jury report?

Do you support the Board of Supervisors plan to study the impacts of school segregation?

Segregation study

“When we think about this period of segregation, we often talk about Black students. But there were other students as well that felt these effects of segregation,” he said.

But some board members were split on the proposal.

Supervisor Kristen C. Umstattd (D-Leesburg), while ultimately voting in favor of the project, voiced doubts.

“All I can see is $250,000 going to UVA, not to the Douglass Alumni Association for scholarships for the children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren of the people who were actually impacted. I find this frustrating,” she said.

Supervisor Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn) disagreed, arguing the study could reveal some even more effective use for that kind of money.

Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) said he would prefer to see the study phase done before approving the reconciliation task force.

“The second part of this, to me, is still very open-ended, and I don’t believe we’ve clearly defined what the objective is and what the realm of possibilities are, and I would like to flesh that out,” he said.

But he abstained from voting rather than vote against the project, saying he supports the first phase and will be “very interested” to read the study group’s report.

“I do want to move forward, particularly with UVA being able to do this for us. I think there’s value in that, in bringing that level of expertise to this effort,” he said.

LETTERS to the Editor

continued from page 32

respond to the wonderful help they’ve received with gi s of owers, tea, and cookies.

e library does so much for us with programs for all ages, from young children to seniors.

If you happen to be in the vicinity, drive by to see the festive decorations. e sta has made the library look like a giant gingerbread house. What fun! Someone please stop me if I start nibbling on the library.

All kidding aside, thank you Lovettsville Library for the help, kindness, and dedication to community.

— Patricia Ott, Lovettsville

And Supervisor Caleb E. Kershner (R-Catoctin) opposed the project, calling it “reparations” and arguing it is an impossible task.

“We continue to make the past and race an issue. We can celebrate our culture and differences, but when it comes to how we treat our community today, we must do it without prejudice or favoritism and be colorblind. Loudoun is not a hotbed of racism or segregation today. These continued race issues only serve to create more controversy,” he said.

But the majority supported the project.

“While I understand the visceral, emotional reaction, which is just normal, human inertia, to not want to dredge up old ghosts, I think this is really important, because we have people living in Loudoun County who grew up in this system and are carrying around the enormous emotional baggage in their families of this system in Loudoun County,” Turner said. “And this board has a responsibility to find out what happened, find out why it happened, and find out if there’s anything at all that we can do to right that wrong.”

County Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large), who along with Supervisor Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian) brought forward the initial proposal, said the effects of school segregation are still felt.

“If a woman is pregnant, and through her pregnancy she doesn’t get the help she needs, she doesn’t take her vitamins, she might use substances, she has a baby that is impacted and affected by her pregnancy. After that, she might eat healthy and she might feed that baby healthy food, she might, but that child is still going to have long-term effects, and those long-term effects from that can last generations,” she said.

Animal Farm

Editor:

Loudoun County’s Democratic supervisors are devising a plan to turn our county into George Orwell’s Animal Farm.

You’ll recall that Orwell, in his 1945 allegorical novel titled “Animal Farm,” detailed how a small gang of rebellious pigs overthrew their human farmer and devised a plan to create a society where all of the farm animals would be “equal, free, and happy.” eir plan contained commandants, the most prominent of which was “All animals are equal.”

Now, in 2022, our gang of Democratic supervisors are devising a plan similar to the plan devised in Orwell’s novel. ey call it their “Equity Plan for Loudoun County,” which they promise will lead to

And she pointed out desegregation in Loudoun was in the recent past— Loudoun’s schools integrated only 54 years ago.

“The history of this country is still played out currently. We cannot act like something that happened as little as 60 years ago obviously wouldn’t still be playing out today,” she said. “The Douglass Alumni are alive today. They’re not gone. They’re here, their children who dealt with some of the fallout from their parents are alive today. They’re our age. This was not 200 years ago.”

Supervisors approved the project plan 6-1-1-1, with Kershner opposed, Letourneau abstaining and Supervisor Tony R. Bufffington (R-Blue Ridge) absent.

Already, the Douglass High School Commemorative Committee has launched a Reconciliation Subcommittee to study how the county should reconcile its history on the site. Black families formed Loudoun’s County-Wide League of Black PTAs in 1938, according to the Edwin Washington Project. Despite their economic hardships, the League raised $4,000 to buy land for a school for Black students, but were forced to sell it for $1 to the county.

“One of the things that has come up over the course of these discussions, and kind of where we are right now with that committee, is really wanting to educate the public on what’s happened, tell the story of the people who worked really hard to basically use their own money to fund their children’s education, to fund the books they needed, the furniture they needed—things that white families were not doing,” Human Services Project Manager Shalom Black, the county’s liaison to the subcommittee, said.

a society where “social and racial disparities” are eliminated.

is so-called Equity Plan includes, in e ect, the following commandments: “All humans are equal” and “All outcomes for all humans must be equal.” No, this plan does not say all humans are “created equal,” as proclaimed in our Declaration of Independence. is plan does not say all humans have an equal opportunity to create their own outcomes. is plan says all humans are equal and all humans’ outcomes must be equal. Period

is Equity Plan, of course, directly contradicts the ideals and legal principles delineated in our Declaration of Independence and our U.S. Constitution.

In Orwell’s allegorical novel, the Animal Farm represents Russia during and a er the 1917 Russian Revolution, and the rebellious pigs in the novel includ-

The committee’s recommendations are expected to the Joint Board of Supervisors and School Board Committee in spring 2023.

Loudoun was one of the last school districts in the country to desegregate in 1968, more than a decade after the Supreme Court’s landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision outlawed racial segregation in school. Virginia and Loudoun County fought integration, shutting down schools rather than comply with federal law. In that time the county board also supported a change to the state constitution to allow spending public funds on segregated private schools; refused to make any improvements to Douglass Elementary School and Douglass High School until, according to county staff research, “reasonable assurance was given by the parents of colored children of the County that they conform to the opinion that their education be promoted better by their continued school attendance on a segregated basis;” and fought several court battles.

Today, Loudoun continues to see persistent racial inequities both in and out of schools, where Black students continue to lag white students in on-time graduation rates and test scores. Meanwhile Black households make less money and are jailed far more. The Census Bureau estimates that in 2021, the median household income for Black household in Loudoun was only 77% of the median income in white households. And the U.S. Department of Justice’s most recent Census of Jails showed in 2019 Loudoun’s jail population was 35.4% Black, while the Census Bureau estimated that year the county’s population was only 9.8% Black or Black and multiracial. n

ed “Old Major” (who represents the Communists Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin), “Napoleon” (who represents the mass-killer Communist, Joseph Stalin), “Snowball” (i.e., Leon Trotsky), and “Squealer” (who represents the corrupt journalists/propagandists at “Pravda”).

As we now know, the plan devised by the rebellious pigs at Orwell’s allegorical Animal Farm eventually failed as did the communists’ plan in the real Russia. Neither the animals at Animal Farm nor the citizens in Russia ever became “equal.” ey instead became oppressed subjects in barbaric, totalitarian states.

Unless the Democrats’ Equity Plan somehow gets stopped in its tracks, get ready to change your county of residence from Loudoun to Animal Farm, Virginia.

— Mike Panchura, Sterling

Policy review

continued from page 1

of leadership, and we know that on the board and our staff knows that and we are going to do everything we can to restore trust with the new superintendent, whoever that may be, and with our acting superintendent, and with the School Board, which will be elected next year,” Morse said.

Morse said while board members knew some of the information in the special grand jury report, there were significant factors they didn’t know. He declined to comment on what those were.

That claim was refuted by former School Board member Andrew Hoyler, who said there wasn’t much in the special grand jury report that he didn’t already know from his time on the board.

Hoyler said he learned more about the case through media reports, reading court documents, police reports and briefly reading the independent review.

The School Board last year commissioned a law firm to conduct an independent review of the assaults but declined to release it publicly. Hoyer said that School Board members were given a brief opportunity to review the report, but were never given copies.

This week, a majority of School Board members said they would support releasing the report to the public, albeit with redactions.

Morse said there were several factors in choosing Smith for acting superintendent—one being he wasn’t working for the division when the sexual assaults took place, and another the leadership and stabilizing factor he said Smith has offered during the turmoil. Smith, the former principal of Lake Braddock Secondary School in Fairfax County, was hired as Ziegler’s chief of staff in April.

Vice Chair Ian Serotkin (Blue Ridge) said there was strong board consensus that Smith was the right person for the job.

Morse said the division’s ability to demonstrate that it is a nationally leading school division and to get back on track will be crucial in finding a new superintendent over the next six months. He said things have been messy and the actions they’ve taken in the past few days should demonstrate the division is eager to move forward.

Smith said his focus will be on what he called “the most important work” of educating students in a safe and welcoming environment.

“I truly believe this work is a calling. Throughout my career, I always focused on keeping our students and their needs at

the center of my work and I commit to do that as your interim superintendent. I accept the challenges that come with the new role and look forward to refocusing the efforts of employees on maintaining and improving a world class school division,” he said.

Smith promised to serve the students and families in the division to the best of his ability and asked for “patience and support as we rebuild the trust,” acknowledging that it’s going to take time.

“In every leadership position I’ve been in, it’s been about transparency. I believe if we share the reasons for decisions folks can see that we want the common good, that we want what is best for our kids. So to be transparent, to be honest, but also to continue to work for what is best for our kids every day,” he said.

The vote to appoint Smith was not unanimous. School Board member Tiffany Polifko (Broad Run) voted against the appointment, saying she had “grave concerns” based on the outcry she has heard from the community, and said people had lost trust in the division.

“I firmly believe that we as a school board must demand that the person in charge of running our school system, the superintendent, hold accountable the individuals that were in involved in the events that occurred last year,” she said. “And while I realize that while Dr. Daniel Smith wasn’t involved in what occurred, he will be overseeing individuals who were, and it is critical that a person who is assuming that role will take the necessary steps to display the leadership that is so needed in this school system right now.”

The School Board plans to conduct a

nationwide search for a permanent superintendent with the goal of having one in place July 1, in time for the start of the 2023-2024 school year.

This week, the School Board set in motion a series of policy changes in response to the eight recommendations made by the special grand jury.

Those recommendations including more transparency around significant incidents, a formalized process for transferring students, more direct involvement from the district’s director of safety and security, tightened controls on the apps available on students’ school-issued devices, curtailing the school district’s broad use of attorney-client privilege exemptions to government transparency law, better coordination among government agencies, stronger support for faculty and staff confronted with difficult scenarios, and not place the superintendents’ recommendations to end teachers’ contracts from the School Board’s consent agenda.

Board members agreed the changes should be implemented quickly, but were divided on whether to take time to gather community and committee input.

Debate over a key policy governing the transfer of a disciplined student to a different school, such as the alternative learning program at the North Star School or to distance learning illustrated the dilemma.

Ian Serotkin (Blue Ridge) said it was unclear when a transfer to distance learning or North Star would be required. He noted a staff report in October 2021 stating a better process had been put in place, but he didn’t see it in policy. Assistant Superintendent of Learning Ashley Ellis said that wasn’t currently in policy, and

said they could put the written practices into regulation.

“I think this is the danger of trying to do this from the dais, even if it’s just an information item, given the scope and breadth of the policies we are talking about,” Serotkin said. “I know we want to move quickly, but at least my personal opinion is that this has to go through committee to make sure we are getting this right.”

Another key concern dealt with the division’s communication policies. Several board members said they were alarmed that on the day of the first sexual assault, at Stone Bridge High School, division staff sent out an alert about the conduct of the victim’s father at the school office but did not notify the school community about the assault that occurred in a school bathroom earlier that day, or that the assailant’s whereabouts were unknown for hours afterward.

Chair Jeff Morse (Dulles) said it was an “absolute breach of communication” and that the assault should have been the first issue communicated to the community.

Division counsel Robert Falconi suggested updates to the policy dealing with disclosure of student information, including a statement that the staff should “endeavor to provide as much relevant information to the community about security incidents occurring in LCPS schools or during LCPS school sponsored activities.” The addition also includes a caveat that communication should be in line with confidentiality policies.

In the special grand jury’s report, Falconi, School Board members and administrators were criticized for citing attorney-client privilege to withhold information during the investigation.

Morse said he often doesn’t know when to push back on Falconi’s advice, and that the board needs to have a better understanding of those boundaries. Tiffany Polifko (Broad Run) and Erika Ogedegbe (Leesburg) agreed, and said transparency was important to regain trust with the community.

Addressing another special grand jury criticism, Falconi said steps were being taken to foster greater collaboration among other agencies, including the Sheriff’s Office and Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.

Smith said he reached out to Sheriff Mike Chapman on his first day on the job in his new role and was working to repair that relationship and build better communication. He added he was encouraged by the conversation and believed, things would improve, and would be meeting with other police departments. n

Alexis Gustin/Loudoun Now

Dan Smith walks to the dais after he was instated as interim superintendent by the Loudoun County School Board during an emergency meeting on Dec 8. Smith was selected after superintendent Scott Ziegler was fired last Tuesday.

Charges filed

“I am disappointed that an Attorney General-controlled, secret, and one-sided process—which never once sought my testimony—has made such false and irresponsible accusations,” Ziegler wrote the statement, released through attorney Erin Harrigan. “It appears clear to me that this process was and is aimed at advancing a certain political agenda. For example, they tout some relationship between the school bathroom policy for transgender students and the May 28, 2021 sexual assault at Stone Bridge High School. However, the SGJ report itself acknowledged the truth that contradicts that finding: the assault occurred during an encounter in which two students—neither of whom identified as transgender—met in a school bathroom.”

According to the special grand jury report, a connection between the assault at Stone Bridge High School and the school district’s transgender policy was first made in an email the day of the incident from Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lewis. The grand jury reports six people joined a virtual meeting after Lewis’s email, including Ziegler.

“We believe this Teams meeting was the beginning of the complete lack of transparency by LCPS surrounding this situation,” the grand jury wrote.

“I have many thoughts on the specific events surrounding this investigation, as well as the larger tumult in Loudoun County—driven by partisan forces— which have divided our community. But for now, I will not comment further, except to say that I will vigorously defend myself. I look forward to a time when the truth is reported to the public,” Ziegler wrote.

The parents of the student victims in the sexual assault cases also spoke out following the issuance of criminal charges.

Scott Smith, the father of one of the sexual assault victims said being in the courtroom Tuesday was emotional, but said after 18 months, emotions were hard to come by sometimes.

He said it was a day of reckoning and said he hoped this doesn’t happen to any other family.

“What I want to have happen is I want to march into that School Board meeting tonight and see everyone that was sitting on the School Board while our daughter was going through this and while they were lying and standing up for Scott Ziegler—I want them all to resign. Any-

thing else is unacceptable. They have no support or trust in the community and basically if they sit there and refuse to resign, they are just hurting our children further,” Smith said.

The parents of the victim of the subsequent Oct. 6, 2021, sexual assault in a Broad Run High School classroom, who sought to stay out of news reports to protect their daughter, released a statement through their attorney, Patrick M. Regan.

“With the release of the Grand Jury report, the public now knows what we have suspected since the start of this tragic event—that what happened to her on October 6, 2021 could have and should have been prevented. Multiple red flags during the time period of May 12, 2021 to October 6, 2021 were raised and ignored, including the 12-page disciplinary record for the assailant that was also mentioned in the report,” they stated. “One thing we feel is important to note is that over the last 14 months since our daughter was assaulted, not one member of the school board, LCPS administration, or even our local high school leadership has reached out to check on how she is doing, lend any type of support or even apologize for what we are going through as a family. That alone speaks volumes to what we have endured throughout this ordeal.”

“The senior leaders at both high schools, along with the Loudoun County Public Schools and the School Board members, should be reminded that our fifteen-year-old daughter displayed more courage and leadership when she reported what happened to her to the Sheriff’s Resource Officer than any of them ever did. The ineptitude of all involved is stagger-

ing,” the statement goes on to say.

The family said recent actions that include Ziegler’s firing, and the indictments should only be the beginning of changes to the culture of Loudoun County Public Schools and that more needs to be done before “healing can begin” and trust can be restored.

“Parents need to feel that they can send their kids to a safe learning environment. This County has great residents, and we need our elected and public servants to represent and show that greatness as well,” they wrote.

During Tuesday’s hearing, Judge James E. Plowman scheduled a Jan. 5 status hearing for Byard’s case because his attorney was participating in a jury trial and could not be present. Byard was placed on a $1,000 personal recognizance bond. The charge carries a sentence of up to 12 months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.

Theo Stamos, the special prosecutor from the Attorney General’s Office, said she anticipates a two-day trial would be held next spring.

The special grand jury returned the indictments against Ziegler on June 14 and Sept. 28 for offenses that allegedly occurred June 7 and June 22; they were kept under seal until Monday.

Ziegler is facing three misdemeanor indictments, two of which will be consolidated. He waived his right to a speedy trial. He was also given a $1,000 personal recognizance bond.

One charge against Ziegler, the “prohibited conduct” charge, is under a statute that is used when there are allegations a public official illegally solicited or ac-

cepted money or other things of value within the scope of his official duties, or used his position to retaliate or threaten to retaliate against any person for expressing views on matters of public concern or for exercising any right that is otherwise protected by law. The charge is a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 12 months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.

Another charge, of penalizing an employee for a court appearance or service on jury panel, is a Class 3 misdemeanor with a possible fine of up to $500.

The third charge, providing false information to a publication, also is a Class 3 misdemeanor. According to the statute, the crime involves “any person who knowingly and willfully states, delivers or transmits by any means whatever to any publisher, or employee of a publisher, of any newspaper, magazine, or other publication or to any owner, or employee of an owner, of any radio station, television station, news service or cable service, any false and untrue statement, knowing the same to be false or untrue, concerning any person or corporation, with intent that the same shall be published, broadcast or otherwise disseminated.”

Attorneys said the charges of penalizing an employee for a court appearance and retaliation would be combined, while the third charge of giving false information to a publication would stand on its own. The first jury trial was scheduled for May 22-23, the second for July 10-11.

Plowman set a Jan. 5 deadline for pre-trial motions and a Jan. 26 motions hearing date. n

Alexis Gustin/Loudoun Now Scott Smith, the father of the first victim in the school district’s sexual assault scandal, was one of more than 70 people who spoke to the Loudoun County School Board at their Dec. 13 meeting demanding consequences.

Alexis Gustin/Loudoun Now

More than 70 people spoke at the Loudoun County School Board’s Dec. 14 meeting, calling for both more firings and resignations from School Board members.

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